Royce Gracie Suspended, Fined For Steroids

Yet another MMA fighter has tested positive for steroids and this time it’s legendary Royce Gracie.

The California State Athletic Commission released information Tuesday at 5:35 p.m. from tests results that showed Gracie’s two samples revealed traces of nandrolone metabolite.

Gracie, 40, last fought on June 2 on a FEG fight card held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. He won by decision against Japan’s Kazushi Sakuraba. A prior fight that took place a year ago against Matt Hughes in Los Angeles did not have steroid testing in place.

The Brazilian jujitsu master is suspended for the remainer of his license that ends on May 30, 2008. Gracie has been fined $2,500, the most that can be levied by the Commission.

It was the third successive day that the Commission released information that a professional fighter had tested positive for steroids. Boxers James Toney and Dan Batchelder who fought each other on May 24, were discovered to have two forms of steroids in their samples. Also, MMA fighters Johnnie Morton and Tim Persey tested positive for steroids and drugs respectively this week.

“Use of steroids is simply cheating,” said Armando Garcia, CSAC executive director. “It won’t be tolerated in this state.”

Nevada also has steroid testing in place.

We want to hear what TSS readers think about the issue. Do you feel, hey, everyone's doing it, so the playing field is level? Should we overlook the issue? Weigh in!

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