Another UFC fighter suspended after positive drug test, potential sanctioning to follow

UFC bantamweight Miles Johns has been temporarily suspended while awaiting adjudication with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for failing a drug test after his fight against Dan Argueta at UFC Vegas 79 on September 23. A decision to potentially sanction the fighter will be reached at a later date.

Earlier this week, deputy attorney general for the state of Nevada Mike Detmer revealed that Johns tested positive for the M3 metabolite during a monthly commission meeting. The M3 metabolite is commonly found in DHCMT, also known as oral Turinabol, an anabolic steroid.

MMA journalist Nolan King recently took to X to report the news and wrote:

"Miles Johns has been temporarily suspended by the NSAC for a flagged drug test for M3 metabolite stemming from his Sept. 23 win over Dan Argueta. A decision on potential sanctioning will be reached at a future date.

King also reported that the NSAC will discuss potential adjustments to the committee's policies on several prohibited substances. He wrote:

"It's important to note, there is also going to be a discussion during today's meeting about potential changes to NSAC's policies on a number of prohibited substances – M3 metabolite is among them."

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Nevada State clears UFC featherweight contender to compete at UFC 296 bout after grave head injury

Featherweight contender Giga Chikadze was recently given the green light to compete against Josh Emmett at UFC 296 in Las Vegas. The Nevada State Athletic Commission requires special re-licensing for individuals who've suffered serious neurological damage.

The NSAC had to clear 'Ninja' to fight in their jurisdiction again after he suffered major head injuries during his one-sided fight against Calvin Kattar in January 2022. Kattar landed 127 strikes to Chikadze's head during the fight, and the Georgian hasn't competed in Nevada since.

Nevertheless, the featherweight contender has fought outside the state, beating Alex Caceres at UFC Singapore in August.

MMA Junkie reported executive director Jeff Mullen's statement during Giga Chikadze's re-licensing hearing. He said:

"Giga Chikadze had a serious head injury. He did go through serious medical tests. He was cleared, and his suspension was lifted. He fought in another jurisdiction earlier this year, but he wasn’t licensed here.

Mullens continued:

"Now he’s coming up for licensing in December and he has had an additional [test]... He has been cleared by all the tests. He has been cleared by our chief medical advisor."