Paulo Costa provided “substantial assistance” to USADA to reduce his suspension from two years to six months.
The UFC middleweight contender was suspended six months Friday by the UFC’s anti-doping partner for use of intravenous infusions (IVs) in 2017. The sanction is retroactive to Aug. 10, 2018, the date Costa “acknowledged receipt” of the IVs. Costa is already eligible to compete.
Per a USADA release, Costa used an IV to re-hydrate after weighing in ahead of bouts at UFC 212 and UFC 217 in June and November 2017, respectively. Both IVs were administered by Costa’s other brother Carlos Costa, who was also suspended six months by USADA.