LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: in their featherweight bout during Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series at the TUF Gym on July 18, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/DWTNCS)
Sean O’Malley suspended 9-months, allowed to fight at UFC 248
Sean O’Malley (10-0) was suspended nine-months today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The commission voted unanimously to approve the suspension on Wednesday, but it would not impact the fighter’s ability to participate in his previously scheduled March 7 fight against Jose Alberto Quiñones at UFC 248.
The reason why O’Malley will be allowed to compete is because the suspension will be retroactive to May 25, 2019 and runs until February 25, 2020.
In September 2018, O’Malley was flagged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).
The 25-year-old UFC fighter will pay $872.16 in attorney’s fees and is required to pay for random drug tests that run until March 6.
In September 2018, O’Malley was one of several fighters that were suspended six-months after testing positive from tainted supplements. The NSAC suspended him another six months.
When O’Malley showed signs of “pulsing,” meaning slight traces were still in his system, the NSAC would not to license him for a fight against Chito Vera at UFC 239 in July 2019. The commission said it because there wasn’t enough time to verify USADA’s finding that the positive tests were residual. O’Malley’s findings were showing up to 88 picograms in his system, but then also negative findings were found in other tests.
Since then, a new threshold of 100 picograms has been set by USADA.
As long as he doesn’t exceed 100 picograms while being tested up until March 6, O’Malley won’t be subject to further sanctions.
“Sugar” is also required to pay for and provide clean drug tests at 30, 15 and three days prior to his UFC 248 fight, as well as apply for a new license.
