UFC middleweight Jake Shields has been suspended for six months due to using a “prohibited” substance prior to his UFC 150 fight against Ed Herman. That fight took place on August 11th at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Shields issued a press release himself:
“Prior to my professional bout at UFC 150 in Denver, Colorado, I used a substance prohibited by Colorado Boxing Commission rules. This was a mistake that I fully regret. I have shared this issue with my family and the UFC and I have apologized to them and now I also apologize to you, the fans. I promise this will never occur again in my fighting career. I accept the Boxing Commission’s decision for a six-month suspension, which will expire in February. I ask that you accept my apology. I will be back fighting soon, and hope that the fans of MMA will support me until that time.”
Shields did not state what the banned substance was and Colorado Athletic Commission does not disclose test results. It also is not clear at this time if the unanimous decision victory will be overturned to a no-contest. This is the first time that Shields has been caught using a banned substance in his career which began in 1999.
Source Jake Shields suspendedColorado commission confirms Shields' suspension, UFC 150 win changed to no-contestJake Shields' win over Ed Herman at UFC 150 has been changed to a no-contest, and the fighter has also been fined $5,675.
A disciplinary complaint from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' Boxing Commission also confirms a six-month suspension for Shields, who announced this past Friday that he'd tested positive for a banned substance.
MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) obtained a copy of the complaint, which became effective today. It did not disclose the substance for which Shields tested positive.
Shields (27-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) defeated Herman (20-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) via unanimous decision at UFC 150, which took place Aug. 11 at Denver's Pepsi Center. The pay-per-view bout marked the ex-Strikeforce champ's first fight at middleweight in more than two years.
According to the complaint, Shields was fined $5,000 for violating Colorado statutes on prohibited substances and ordered to pay a surcharge of 10 percent of the fine ($500), as well as $175 for administrative fees incurred for testing. He is ordered to pay the fines within 14 days.
Shields' suspension runs six months, retroactive to Aug. 11. The complaint notes that the conditions will be placed on the fighter's license until he fulfills the terms of his suspension.
"This was a mistake that I fully regret," Shields said in a prepared statement this past week. "I have shared this issue with my family and the UFC, and I have apologized to them, and now I also apologize to you, the fans. I promise this will never occur again in my fighting career.
"I accept the boxing commission's decision for a six-month suspension, which will expire in February. I ask that you accept my apology. I will be back fighting soon, and hope that the fans of MMA will support me until that time."
Source UFC 150 win changed to no-contest