Augusto Mendes will appeal USADA suspension: ‘I’m innocent’

Augusto Mendes was pulled from a UFC Atlantic City clash with Mareb Dvalishvili on April 21 after testing positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition USADA test, but says he’s innocent.

“Tanquinho”, a multiple-time jiu-jitsu champion with a 6-2 MMA record, including a 1-2 run inside the Octagon, released a statement on Wednesday revealing that he will appeal, ask for the B sample to be tested, and also test the supplements he has used.

Mendes did not disclose which substance he tested positive for.

Check Mendes’ statement below.

On Tuesday afternoon, on March 20, I was surprised by a notification from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informing me of a potential…