Andrea Lee signed to UFC and pulled from UFC 216 fight card in same day
Legacy Fighting Alliance flyweight champion Andrea Lee received the call to the UFC late last night. MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani published the story at 12:20 a.m. this morning, stating that “KGB” would be a late addition to the October 7, UFC 216 pay-per-view fight card.
KGB successfully defended her LFA title last Friday when she defeated Jamie Thornton via submission. She was called up to fight Kalindra Faria as the two ladies were going to replace the scratched fight between Jessica Eye and Paige VanZant.
Hours after Lee’s fight announcement broke, the fight was already off the books. Since Lee had a previous failed drug test, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency ruling states that a competitor must be enrolled in USADA’s testing pool for six months before becoming eligible to fight in the UFC.
It appears as if Faria will likely stay on the card but a replacement opponent has not yet been named. Lee will likely make her UFC debut in 2018.
The USADA ruling reads:
“A new or returning Athlete who admits or has an established and verifiable history of the Use, Attempted Use or Possession of a substance or method that is classified as prohibited at all times on the Prohibited List shall not be permitted to compete in UFC Bouts until he/she has made him/herself available for Testing for a minimum period of six months before competing. At USADA’s discretion, such Athletes may also be required to provide a minimum of two negative Samples during the minimum six-month notice period before being cleared for competition. This provision shall not apply in situations in which (i) the Athlete’s Use of the Prohibited Substance or Method was pursuant to a valid TUE or (ii) USADA subsequently grants the Athlete a TUE for the substance or method in question.”
UFC 216 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and features Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee for the interim lightweight championship in the headliner, while flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson faces Ray Borg in the co-main event.
