Den Vietnames-amerikanska mellanviktaren meddelade igår natt att han var glad över att slippa avstängning, men missnöjd med organisationens agerande i hans misstänkta dopingfall.
San Shou-mästaren Cung Le (9-3) har inte haft ett jättebra år, men efter att ursprungligen testat positivt för tillväxthormon (HGH) i september, fick den 42 år gamla forna Strikeforce-mästaren sin avstängning upphävd och sitt provresultat ogiltigförklarat.
Efter att ha framfört sina klagomål angående testprocedurerna som användes av Funtional Medical Test Center Hongkong, (bland annat att hans prov inte kunde återtestas, då det omedelbart förstördes) lyckades Le bli den första UFC-fightern att faktiskt få sin vilja igenom via en överklagan i ett misstänkt dopingfall.
Det här hade han att framföra till allmänheten igår natt, via ett pressmeddelande:
”I am extremely happy with the UFC’s decision to rescind my suspension. I believe the issues raised in regards to the testing procedures as well as the manner in which the results were determined by the UFC clearly support my assertion that I did not use any performance enhancing drugs.”
”I am also happy to take away the fact that the UFC has decided to make the proper changes in their testing procedures which will now ensure that no athlete will ever have to endure the same hardship. While I feel vindicated in this matter, the UFC’s press release does little in the way of an apology of which I believe I am rightly owed after unfairly enduring the public’s scrutiny.”
”Their decision to announce me as a user of performance enhancing drugs with little thought to the accuracy of the testing or proper procedures has caused my family and I great pain; that we have now come to know was completely unnecessary had the proper care been taken to ensure my test results were in fact valid proof of impropriety.”
Les manager Garry Ibarra, tillade även sin syn på saken och var noga med att poängtera vad han tycker är ett felaktigt agerande gentemot sin klient från organisationens håll:
”The AMR Group is also extremely happy with the UFC’s decision to avoid arbitration and rescind their 12 month suspension of Cung Le. The evidence of my client’s innocence was overwhelming in this instance and the UFC’s decision to forego any further action and exonerate him is proof positive of that. We hope that my client will not now forever be associated with illegal doping especially now that he has been completely cleared of any wrongdoing. Regardless of the UFC’s decision, we are left to wonder if this whole matter should have ever happened at all but we do now know several things for certain:
1) my client did not take any performance enhancing drugs, 2) we questioned the propriety of the testing procedures before the UFC announced their initial suspension; 3) sports doping tests should be left to impartial third party experts, and 4) the UFC should have confirmed and evaluated my client’s test results before dispensing discipline and making inaccurate statements that could permanently tarnish Cung’s previously pristine reputation.”
”The absence of a formal apology, in light of the recent “medical advice” the UFC received, which prompted them to lift his suspension, is outrageous. Moreover, the insinuation that my client will not be disciplined due to “the [mere] lack of conclusive laboratory results”, is a clear attempt to deflect responsibility and cloud my client’s innocence, when, in fact, the mistakes that were made resulted solely from the UFC’s reckless and premature actions and decisions.”
