British Fighter James Mulheron Suspended One Year by USADA Following Failed Drug Test

British heavyweight James Mulheron, who made his UFC debut last year, has been suspended for one year after testing positive for a banned substance in an out of competition drug test administered by USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency).

Mulheron tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, hydroxyclomiphene, in an out of competition test taking on Nov. 10, 2017.

“Clomiphene is not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the male population, as its use has not been thoroughly studied for safety and efficacy,” USADA officials wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “Clomiphene also indirectly promotes the secretion of testosterone. Increasing testosterone, especially when combined with strength training, has been demonstrated to increase fat-free mass, muscle size, and strength in males, potentially leading to performance enhancement in sport.”

Clomiphene is the same substance that was found in positive drug test results for both Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones, who were previously suspended for one year from the sport as well.

Mulheron’s suspension will be made retroactive to Nov. 17, 2017 based on the time when he was provisionally suspended for the positive drug test. As a result of the drug test, Mulheron was also pulled from his last fight scheduled in November in Shanghai, China.

Mulheron will have to stay in the USADA testing pool during his suspension and he will be eligible to return to action in November 2018.