Le says he is surprised by doping and questions the 'high inaccuracy' of tests carried out

C. Le (photo) said he was innocent after being caught doping. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Caught in an anti-doping test with a high level of growth hormone (GH) in your body, Cung le questioned the result and was surprised by the exam, carried out after his most recent fight, when he was knocked out by Michael Bisping at UFC Macau last month.

The Vietnamese, who was suspended for a year by the UFC for the incident, reported that he passed all the tests he had taken before and even after the fight. “I was completely surprised by the results of my recent drug test. I was informed by the UFC that I passed the pre- and post-fight exams I took, as well as most of the blood tests, with the only abnormality being an elevated growth hormone level. I tested negative for anabolic steroids, stimulants, diuretics and masking agents, and my testosterone level was within WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] limits. The Nevada Commission approved my urine and blood tests collected before and after the fight, which makes this result difficult to accept as correct”, argued Le, in a statement released by the company that manages his career.

The 42-year-old fighter also pointed to the “high rate of inaccuracy” of the tests currently carried out to detect the level of GH in the body and declared his innocence. “I have been told that there are many possible reasons for the GH level to exceed what is allowed in unknown ways and my doctors are researching these possibilities, which could include a much more serious health problem. I was also informed about the unreliability of current GH tests and their high rate of inaccuracy. I want to reiterate to my fans that I do not take performance-enhancing substances or anything that increases my GH level,” he concluded.

The UFC Macau doping tests were conducted by Ultimate itself, as there is no athletic commission on site to carry out the tests. Originally, the organization announced that the fighter had been suspended for nine months, but later corrected the information, with the suspension lasting one year.