UFC’s Jesse Ronson accepts 20-month suspension for USADA violation

Jesse Ronson has been suspended by USADA for 20 months after testing positive out-of-competition for a metabolite of metandienone.

UFC welterweight [autotag]Jesse Ronson[/autotag] has accepted a 20-month U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suspension after testing positive for banned metabolite metandienone as the result of a sample collected out-of-competition just days before his return to the UFC.

The test was conducted July 22, four days before his “Performance of the Night” submission of Nicolas Dalby at UFC on ESPN 14.

According to a statement by USADA, “Metandienone (also known as methandienone) is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.”

Here is USADA’s statement on the matter:

“USADA announced today that Jesse Ronson, of London, Ontario, Canada, has accepted a 20-month sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

Ronson, 34, tested positive for metabolite of metandienone (18-nor-17β-hydroxymethyl-17α-methylandrosta-1,4,13-triene-3-one) as the result of a sample collected out-of-competition on July 22, 2020. Metandienone (also known as methandienone) is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.

Upon being added to the UFC Anti-Doping Program, athletes are required to declare all medications and supplements they have used in the previous 12 months. An athlete who declares the prior use of a prohibited substance will not be deemed to have committed a violation but, depending on the substance, may be required to refrain from competition for a period of at least six months and provide at least two negative samples. Ronson did not declare the use of metandienone on his onboarding declaration forms.

Ronson received a reduction to the period of ineligibility for his Full and Complete Cooperation under the revised UFC ADP announced on November 25, 2019.

Ronson’s 20-month period of ineligibility began on July 22, 2020, the date his positive sample was collected.”

Ronson’s (22-10 MMA, 1-3 UFC) 20-month suspension is retroactive to the administration of the test, meaning he will be eligible to return March 22, 2022.

How did Rhys McKee react to the news of his UFC call-up? With stunned silence, then excitement

Relive the moment when Northern Ireland’s Rhys McKee learned he was heading to Fight Island to make his UFC debut.

With the UFC looking for a short-notice opponent to face the hugely-impressive Khamzat Chimaev at UFC on ESPN 14, the promotion turned to a tried and trusted source of fighting talent for a suitable matchup.

As a result, Cage Warriors welterweight contender [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag] is all set to take on Chimaev on Saturday night at Yas Island as the Northern Irishman gets set for a whirlwind few days as he signs the paperwork, packs his bags and goes through the rigorous testing and quarantine stages required before he can make his octagon debut.

McKee was already set for a big fight, with his 63-second win over Hakon Foss at Cage Warriors 110 last November putting him in line for a shot at the promotion’s vacant 170-pound title following the departure of champ Ross Houston and interim titleholder Nicolas Dalby to Bellator and the UFC respectively.

But when Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan video-called McKee, it wasn’t to conduct a social media Q&A with the boss, as the 24-year-old thought.

Instead, he was told he’d be stepping up on short notice to make his UFC debut. His reaction, which started with stunned silence, then disbelief, then pure excitement, was priceless as he became the 96th Cage Warriors fighter to be signed by the UFC.

Check out “Skeletor’s” reaction to his UFC call-up via the video above.

Khamzat Chimaev gets quick turnaround, faces debuting Rhys McKee at UFC on ESPN 14

Hot on the heels of his impressive debut win, Khamzat Chimaev returns to action in Abu Dhabi on July 25 against debutant Rhys McKee.

One of the most impressive debut performers on “UFC Fight Island” has earned himself a swift turnaround and a chance to repeat the trick at the same venue.

Sweden’s [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] defeated Welsh knockout artist John Phillips via second-round D’Arce choke at UFC on ESPN+ 30 on Wednesday night at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in a performance that earned rave reviews.

That victory saw Chimaev move up to middleweight for his octagon debut, but now the 26-year-old will be given the opportunity to make a quick turnaround and compete at his optimal weight class of welterweight when he returns to action Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 14 at Flash Forum.

Chimaev (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will take on former Cage Warriors welterweight contender [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag]. The fight was confirmed by UFC president Dana White during the post-fight press conference at UFC on ESPN+ 30.

UFC on ESPN 14 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

McKee (10-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is a previous lightweight champion for U.K. promotion BAMMA and, after signing for Cage Warriors in 2018, picked up a pair of stoppage wins in the promotion’s lightweight division.

Most recently, McKee opted to start a new chapter in his career as he moved up to welterweight and scored a 63-second knockout of Hakon Foss to position himself for a shot at the promotion’s 170-pound strap.

But now, instead of preparing for a title shot during Cage Warriors’ scheduled three-night triple-header in September, McKee is packing his bags and getting ready to head to Yas Island for his octagon debut.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 14 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till
  • Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua
  • Alexander Gustafsson vs. Fabricio Werdum
  • Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Paul Craig
  • Alex Oliveira vs. Peter Sobotta

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)

  • Jai Herbert vs. Francisco Trinaldo
  • Nicolas Dalby vs. Jesse Ronson
  • Tom Aspinall vs. Jake Collier
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Mike Grundy
  • Tanner Boser vs. Raphael Pessoa
  • Bethe Correia vs. Pannie Kianzad
  • Ramazan Emeev vs. Niklas Stolze
  • John Castaneda vs. Nathaniel Wood
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Rhys McKee