USADA announced today that Raphael Pessoa Nunes, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has accepted a one-year sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.
Pessoa Nunes, 31, tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and its metabolites chlorothiazide and 4-amino-6-chloro-1,3-benzenedisulfonamide (ACB) as the result of a sample collected out-of-competition on March 4, 2020. HCTZ is a Specified Substance in the class of Diuretics and Masking Agents and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.
The reporting of the sample was delayed by laboratory closures due to COVID-19.
Pessoa Nunes’ one-year period of ineligibility began on March 4, 2020, the date his positive sample was collected.
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. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (https://UFC.USADA.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
