Hector Lombard
Oct 19, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Nate Marquardt (red gloves) fights against Hector Lombard (blue gloves) in their welterweight bout during UFC 166 at Toyota Center. Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

Nevada Athletic Commission, or NAC, Executive Director Bob Bennett revealed that Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight fighter Hector Lombard tested positive for steroids during a Jan. 3 drug testing. The Commission added that Lombard’s system showed traces of desoxymethyltestosterone, better known as DMT.

As a result of this development, the UFC has cancelled the upcoming preliminary card between Lombard and Rory McDonald supposedly for UFC 186 on Apr. 25. The former Bellator middleweight champion will go back to the drawing board as his transition to the UFC is cut short by the controversy.

“NAC executive director Bob Bennett said he was unsure whether Lombard will receive a temporary suspension at the NAC hearing on Feb. 17 because the agenda has yet to be completed, but it is certain that the former Bellator middleweight champion will be forced to meet with the commission in the near future to explain the positive drug test and could face disciplinary action, as well," MMA Fighting revealed in its coverage of the story.

The steroid results of Lombard further deals a blow to the UFC after two its high profiled fighters have yielded unsatisfactory drug results. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites a month prior to his fight against Daniel Cormier while Anderson Silva’ tests coming back positive for two anabolic steroids taints an impressive resume.

Add to the fact that former big name Georges St-Pierre has slammed the performance enhancing drug controversy and has demanded stringer measures to curb the abuse. He declared that he will not go back to the Octagon unless Olympic style or any other firmer measures will be implemented.

The timing of the release of results has also been in the crosshairs of several media outlets. Both of Jones’ and Silva’s test were made public after the UFC has held the event and the Lombard steroid issue is following the same path. Lombard’s test results were available by Jan. 13 but the NAC only disclosed the test results a month later.

Lombard has declined to comment on the issue as he has just been notified by the UFC of his test results. The late scratch from the UFC 186 event of the Cuban fighter leaves the Canadian McDonald with no opponent to face in the upcoming pay-per-view event. The UFC has not yet announced if McDonald will face another fighter instead for the big event to be held in Montreal.

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