The UFC 307 main event is cleared to go off without a hitch after Khalil Rountree was suspended Thursday.
An official punishment was handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission during its monthly meeting, but the duration will expire prior to Rountree’s Oct. 5 fight vs. light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in Salt Lake City.
Rountree, 34, was suspended 4.5 months and fined $157.04 for prosecution fees as part of a settlement agreement approved by commission members. The commission praised Rountree, who was present at the hearing, for self-reporting the issue and being cooperative throughout the process.
“I’m glad he showed up, and the self-reporting obviously had a great influence on the commission’s decision here,” NAC chairman Dallas Haun said. “I applaud him for self-reporting.”
Rountree accepted an opportunity to speak and thanked the commission for their investigation into the matter.
“I just want to say thank you guys for looking into the details of the matter,” Rountree said. “It definitely has made a huge difference in everything that’s happening right now in my life. I’m just really appreciative of you guys for taking the extra time to look into the details.”
The UFC had internally suspended Rountree for two months through its anti-doping program, Combat Sports Anti-Doping, for a May 4 drug test failure. Rountree submitted a urine sample that tested positive for anabolic steroid DHEA.
According to CSAD, Rountree self-reported accidental ingestion of a blended supplement that contained DHEA. A May 4 sample tested by Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) was consistent with Rountree’s claim.
Rountree was first to publicly announce the failure, which resulted in his removal from the UFC 303 co-main event June 29 against Jamahal Hill.
Through documentation provided by Rountree, CSAD confirmed a supplement company sent the fighter “therapeutic blend” products “without prior approval.” CSAD wrote that the supplement company owner called the error “a massive oversight on our part.”
“CSAD has determined that Rountree’s actions after he determined the error, and the evidence of this case, fit these criteria, and thus CSAD is reducing the sanction against Rountree to 2 months,” CSAD said in a statement.
The doses Rountree ingested were not believed to have any significant performance benefits, CSAD said after consultation with SMRTL.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
