…And he still lost! Former lightweight titlist Brandon Rios, who agreed to
…And he still lost!
Former lightweight titlist Brandon Rios, who agreed to random drug testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association for his Nov. 23 welterweight showdown with Manny Pacquiao in Macau, failed his postfight drug test.
Rios, who lost a shutout decision in a noncompetitive fight with Pacquiao, tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, often used as a dietary supplement but also a performance-enhancing drug.
Rios was notified shortly after the fight, and, according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, he already has been suspended by the Macau commission that regulated the fight. Arum said he thought the suspension was for five or six months but was unsure.
“I can say unequivocally that it was not a steroid-related substance,” Arum told ESPN.com. “It was some substance that was like a minor kind of thing that you’re not supposed to take, something you take for weight loss, like a diuretic. They say it’s not a steroid but it was something you should not have in your urine after a fight. So it went to the [Macau] commission that was in charge of the fight, and they gave him a suspension. He is allowed to appeal.”
The Macau commission was set up by the WBO to oversee the fight, since China does not have a commission that oversees professional boxing. The WBO sanctioned the fight for one of its regional titles.
Ring magazine earlier reported the failed test on its website Friday.
Arum blamed Alex Ariza, Rios’ strength and conditioning coach, for the failed test.