Irina Alekseeva Tests Positive for Testosterone, Gets 1-Year Suspension from CSAD

Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Irina Alekseeva has been suspended for one year after testing positive for testosterone more than a year ago.

Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced the sanction while taking a shot at the UFC’s previous anti-doping partner, USADA, in a statement on Friday:

Alekseeva tested positive for values consistent with the administration of testosterone of exogenous origin in a urine sample collected by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on June 21, 2023, while USADA was still the independent administrator of the UFC’s Anti-Doping Program (UFC ADP). However, USADA failed to report the results of this sample to her and to UFC until October 31, 2023, more than four (4) months after the sample was collected and AFTER Alekseeva was allowed to compete in a UFC event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 14, 2023. USADA collected two additional samples from Alekseeva BEFORE her October 14, 2023, fight, (August 8, 2023, and September 13, 2023) that were both negative. It should be noted that when CSAD took over the independent administrator role of UFC ADP from USADA on December 31, 2023, it requested additional, more specific testing of those two samples that USADA had not. The results of this additional testing facilitated by CSAD were negative. Alekseeva was also tested by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) on October 14, 2023, the date of her last UFC fight, and was negative. All three of these subsequent negative samples were collected from Alekseeva before she was informed of her June 21, 2023, positive sample.

While CSAD was not the independent administrator of the UFC ADP during the above-described time period, CSAD recognizes the importance of promptly reporting results on samples collected in the months and weeks leading up to a UFC event BEFORE the event takes place. CSAD also recognizes that positive results reported out more than 4 months after a sample is collected, and where the athlete is allowed to compete in a UFC bout in the interim, is unacceptable.

Alekseeva dropped a unanimous decision against Melissa Mullins at UFC Fight Night 230 in the aforementioned Oct. 14 bout. CSAD determined that Alekseeva would receive a reduced sanction due to USADA’s failure to inform her of the positive test as well as the fact that the fighter submitted three negative tests before the adverse finding. According to the anti-doping organization, that supported the notion that Alekseeva was not regularly using testosterone. Additionally, Alekseeva and her team were fully cooperative with the CSAD investigation.

The suspension is retroactive to Oct. 15, 2023 — one day after Alekseeva faced Mullins at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. As a result, she will be eligible to compete on Oct. 15 of the current year. However, the Russian could still face additional punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Known as “Russian Ronda,” Aleeksa has compiled a 5-2 mark since beginning her professional MMA career in 2019. She was victorious in one appearance under the Bellator MMA banner before signing with the UFC. Alekseeva secured a first-round submission of Stephanie Egger in her Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 45 before falling to Mullins.