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The first season of Dana White’s Power Slap League is done and dusted. Amid constant criticism for low pay, health risks, and Dana White’s own personal public slapping incident, the show nonetheless crowned new ‘champions’ all amid a sea of generally miserable TV ratings. Then it got cancelled.
The UFC president has assured fans that Power Slap will continue on, with a new online streaming partner. In the meantime, however, the longterm fallout from the first season continued on Tuesday when six participants in the slap-fighting league had their temporary suspensions extended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
According to Nevada Deputy Attorney General Joel Bekker, the suspended Power Slap competitors submitted urine samples that tested positive for multiple banned substances.
Below is a list of the ‘fighters’ who tested positive for banned substances and what they tested positive for:
Power Slap March 9 positive test
T.J. Thomas was suspended after he tested positive for clomiphene, a hormone, and metabolic modulator.
According to the United State Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), clomiphene “is used as an FDA-approved fertility treatment,” and Clomid is indicated by the FDA “for the treatment of ovulatory dysfunction in women desiring pregnancy.” The drug is not FDA-approved for men.
Power Slap March 11 positive tests
Jay Rivera was suspended after he tested positive for GW1516, sulfone, and sulfoxide, which are hormone and metabolic modulators.
According to USADA, GW1516 is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) “originally synthesized and evaluated for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and other disorders caused by metabolic problems.”
Chris Thomas was suspended after he tested positive for Buprenorphine, a narcotic, and its metabolite norbuprenorphine. Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved drug for treating acute pain, chronic pain, and opioid dependence.
Andrew Provost also tested positive for Buprenorphine and its metabolite norbuprenorphine.
Isaih Quinones was suspended after he tested positive for Norandrosterone, drostanolone, tamoxifen, and boldenone, which are anabolic steroids. His sample also showed an “exogenous origin of testosterone.”
Frank Holland was suspended after he tested positive for phentermine, a stimulant similar to amphetamine. Phentermine is prescribed as an appetite suppressor.
NSAC executive director Jeffrey Mullen initially suspended the above individuals between March 28 and April 13, 2023. The commission has filed disciplinary complaints for each individual, and resolution is expected to occur at the May meeting of the NSAC, which has yet to be scheduled.
After the temporary suspensions were unanimously approved by the NSAC, commission chairman Anthony Marnell asked, “And by the way, executive director Mullen, is there like a big bowl of performance-enhancing drugs down there somewhere that I don’t know about? I haven’t seen this in quite a while. I didn’t know you needed to use steroids to slap, but I guess we’re going to find out.”
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