UFC will allow Cung Le to appeal drug suspension -- and it's the right move
Cung Le is getting major backlash from his failed drug test and, maintaining his innocence, he believes things have gotten out of control.
"People are going on my son's Instagram and telling him I'm a cheater," Le told FOX Sports. "I don't think the UFC understands what they've done."
Well, the MMA veteran got good news Wednesday. He'll rightly get a chance to clear his name.
UFC president Dana White told ESPN.com that Le will be able to appeal his year-long suspension handed down when he tested positive for HGH following a loss to Michael Bisping on Aug. 23 in Macao.
Le's manager Gary Ibarra told FOX Sports that he has not heard from the UFC about an official appeals process, but plans to follow up right away upon learning of White's comments. The appeal would be overseen by a third-party arbitrator, UFC COO Lawrence Epstein told ESPN.
"We're very happy that Cung is going to have the right to defend himself," Ibarra said.
And he should. If Le, 42, fought Bisping and then tested positive in Las Vegas, he would absolutely get a date in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) to tell his story, which is honestly rather compelling. In this case, the UFC regulated the Macao card itself. That's a conflict of interest for sure (though hard to avoid in regions without governing bodies), but it doesn't mean Le should not have due process.
Le's argument in front of the arbitrator will be multiple-fold. First, the lab the UFC used to test the samples, the Hong Kong Functional Medical Testing Center, was not certified by the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA), considered the top of the food chain as far as HGH testing goes. White told ESPN that a WADA accredited lab was not used in this case, because this was an unprecedented decision by the organization and happened at the 11th hour. Previously, the UFC had only ordered urine tests on athletes on fight night. White said the UFC will never authorize a non-WADA certified lab to perform blood tests again.
Don Catlin, an expert on testing who oversaw the operation of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Testing Lab for more than 20 years, told Bloody Elbow's Gabriel Montoya that Le's test results should be "ignored" if the proper WADA procedures were not used. There is also a British Journal of Sports Medicine study that says growth hormone production in the body can increase during strenuous activity. Le's blood was taken after his fourth-round TKO loss to Bisping.
"There are several issues -- the laboratory chosen to do the testing, the manner in which the testing was performed," Ibarra said. "The sample was collected post-fight, which is a huge mistake. It's pretty simple. All the questions that we raised in the public eye were raised in the public eye, because at that time that was the only thing we could do."
Not anymore. Le will get the opportunity to present his version of events and evidence. It's the only way to do it, regardless if you believe him or not. Le's physique was impressive prior to the fight with Bisping -- it was the best he has ever looked -- and the suspicion is what led the UFC to demand the testing in the first place.
But the eye test won't matter to an independent arbitrator. The facts will. And, at this stage, that's all Le can really hope for.
"I'm ready for a hearing," Le said.
He deserves that much.
