THREE WEEKS SINCE she suffered the first defeat of her career, Cynthia Calvillo has been hit with another unwelcome development.

The 30-year-old Californian (6-1), who was beaten by Carla Esparza via unanimous decision on 30 December, failed an in-competition drug test for Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] in relation to the UFC 219 bout in Las Vegas.

Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol is “a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish”, according to a UFC statement. Calvillo has been flagged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency [USADA] for being “above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL” for the substance.

In order to determine the sanctions that will subsequently be handed down, Calvillo will now be subjected to an adjudication process which will be carried out by both USADA and the Nevada Athletic Commission.

The UFC’s statement on the matter reads:

The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Cynthia Calvillo of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation involving Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (“Carboxy-THC”) which is a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish, above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL, stemming from an in-competition sample collected in conjunction with her recent bout in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 30, 2017, UFC 219: Cyborg vs. Holm. USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Calvillo, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Because the Nevada Athletic Commission was the regulatory body overseeing the fight in Las Vegas and has licensing jurisdiction over Calvillo, USADA will work to ensure that the Nevada Athletic Commission has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Calvillo’s potential anti-doping violation. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.

In April of last year, UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum was handed a three-month suspension and had his win against Vitor Belfort overturned to a ‘no contest’ after he failed a test as a result of marijuana use.

Calvillo made her UFC debut in March 2017 and embarked on a 3-0 run with the promotion prior to her defeat to Esparza. She is currently ranked eighth in the women’s 115-pound division.

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