Arbitration Decision & Sanction Announcement for Geraldo Augusto de Freitas Junior for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy
Read the full statement from USADA.
USADA announced today that an independent arbitrator has rendered a decision in the case of a former UFC athlete Geraldo Augusto de Freitas Junior, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and determined that Augusto de Freitas should receive a two-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping policy violation that he committed while he was in the UFC program.
This decision comes after the facts of the case were presented and fully argued at evidentiary hearings on July 21, 2021 and September 15, 2021.
Augusto de Freitas, 30, tested positive for exogenous administration of testosterone and/or its precursors as the result of an out-of-competition drug test collected on October 14, 2020. Augusto de Freitas’ urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test, known as Carbon Isotope Ratio (CIR) testing, that differentiates between anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) naturally produced by the body and prohibited anabolic agents of external origin. The CIR test confirmed the presence of testosterone and/or its precursors of external origin in Augusto de Freitas’ urine sample.
The sample results of the initial analysis were reviewed within the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) Program, which tracks multiple urinary biological parameters and their ratios over time, and the data triggered an atypical ABP finding including a deviation in the testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio and other steroid parameters when compared with Augusto de Freitas’ previous samples. This resulted in CIR testing on the sample. All urine and blood samples collected on athletes are examined for ABP biomarker abnormalities that can be indicative of doping, therefore leading to follow-up testing and/or more specialized analyses.
Anabolic agents have powerful performance-enhancing capabilities and can give an athlete an unfair advantage over fellow competitors. All AAS are Non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and are prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy (ADP) and UFC Prohibited List.
During the evidentiary hearings, Augusto de Freitas argued that he did not know how the prohibited substance entered his system and sought to establish that the positive test was the result of various errors or his use of a permitted substance prior to his sample collection. However, the arbitrator concluded that the athlete’s theories lacked an evidentiary basis.
Augusto de Freitas’ two-year period of ineligibility began on January 11, 2021, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. The arbitrator’s decision can be found here, along with all other UFC Anti-Doping Policy arbitral decisions.
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.
In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (https://UFC.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, and periodic athlete alerts. Many of the resources available to athletes are provided in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese.
Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean@usada.org, by phone at 1 877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253), or by mail.
