Breaking: Sean O’Malley flagged by USADA again, out of UFC 239

Sean O’Malley will not return to the Octagon at UFC 239 as originally expected. The bantamweight was coming off of a six-month suspension from USADA due to Ostarine.

Now, just two weeks from his fight against Marlon Vera, O’Malley took to social media to announce he was flagged by USADA again for Ostarine. And with that, he says he will not be able to fight at UFC 239.

Sean O’Malley Statement:

“I want to share the facts with you about my latest USADA tests and how it affects my fight next month,” Sean O’Malley wrote on Instagram. “USADA has notified me that Ostarine, the substance that showed up in my system last year and led to USADA sanctioning me, has resurfaced at an extremely low level in two recent tests.  The good news is that USADA says this is most likely residual from last year and that low level is providing me with no performance advantage. That’s why USADA is not re-sanctioning me for these test results. I already served a USADA sanction for the presence of Ostarine in my system, and it has decreased dramatically since last year.

“The bad news is that the Nevada State Athletic Commission has temporarily suspended me while they look into the situation. While I feel terrible to let down my fans who were looking forward to watching me fight in Las Vegas next month, I look forward to publicly discussing my case before the Nevada State Athletic Commission with scientific experts who can explain why very low levels of Ostarine are showing up in my system. I want to make one thing very clear — I have never purposely taken any prohibited substances to gain an advantage,” Sean O’Malley continued. “I will subject myself to whatever additional testing is required of me by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I want to get this situation finally cleared up so  I can return to the Octagon as soon as I can.

O’Malley was looking to improve to 11-0 as a professional and 3-0 inside the Octagon. The 24-year-old hasn’t fought for over a year, and it is not yet known when his case will be heard by the NSAC.

What are your initial thoughts on Sean O’Malley being out of his UFC 239 fight? Sound off in the comment section, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 6/21/2019.