Gleison Tibau Handed Two-Year Suspension, Victory Overturned

UFC fighter Gleison Tibau recently revealed that he was not going to fight charges that he violated the UFC Anti-Doping Policy by testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in both in-competition and an out-of-competition drug tests related to his UFC Fight Night 77 bout with Abel Trujillo.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday confirmed Tibau’s decision and handed him a 24-month suspension retroactive to the date of the fight, Nov. 7, 2015. The regulatory body overseeing the event, the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA), recognized the violation and has disqualified Tibau, handing him a loss and awarding the victory to Trujillo.

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USADA’s full statement regarding Gleison Tibau:

USADA announced today that Janigleison Herculano Alves aka Gleison Tibau, of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, an athlete in the UFC, has received a 2-year sanction for an anti-doping policy violation.

Tibau, 32, tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) following both out-of-competition and in-competition tests conducted on October 23, 2015 in Coconut Creek, Florida, and on November 7, 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, respectively. EPO is a synthetic hormone used to stimulate the body’s production of red blood cells, thereby increasing oxygen transport and aerobic power, and is a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

Tibau’s period of ineligibility began on November 7, 2015, the date on which he last competed. In addition, Tibau has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to October 23, 2015, the date on which his first positive sample was collected in violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. As the regulatory body that sanctioned Mr. Tibau’s bout on November 7, 2015, the Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA) has recognized USADA’s sanction and, in accordance with the CABMMA Anti-Doping Policy, reversed the outcome of Mr. Tibau’s bout from a “win” to a “loss.”

USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. The anti-doping program run by USADA for UFC athletes includes education, science and research, testing, and results management. Official UFC Anti-Doping Program information and athlete resources are available at UFC.USADA.org.