UFC welterweight Niko Price will be sidelined six months after the Nevada State Athletic Commission handed down a suspension following a positive drug test for marijuana following his fight against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in September.
The commission issued the sanction during a monthly meeting on Wednesday.
In addition to his six-month suspension, Price was also fined $8,500 and his draw with Cerrone will now be overturned and declared a no-contest.
While marijuana is completely legal in Nevada, the drug remains on the banned substances list for athletes competing in the state whenever testing positive over a certain threshold. In this case, Price tested above that legal limit and now he’ll have to sit out for six months and pay a fine as a result.
The fight against Cerrone was a back-and-forth battle over three rounds with Price facing a point deduction for repeated eye pokes. The contest was eventually scored a majority draw but now it will show as a no contest for both athletes.
Price had been previously sanctioned in Texas after testing positive for marijuana in 2017.
This is a similar outcome after the Nevada Commission suspended UFC newcomer Trevin Jones for 4 1⁄2 months while overturning his win to a no-contest back in October. Kevin Croom also faced a 4 1/2-month suspension as well as his win over Roosevelt Roberts being overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for marijuana in September.
