Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Tests Positive for Drugs and Other Fighters with Drug Related Troubles

On Thursday, September 20, 2012, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. made headlines when it was revealed that he failed a drug test. The test came back positive for marijuana. The news comes shortly after he lost a close bout against Sergio Martinez. It is not yet known what the punishment will be, but this is far from the first time a mixed martial arts fighter has tested positive and made headlines for illegal or performance enhancing drugs. Here is a look at how five of those fighters have fared.

Ricco Rodriguez

Ricco Rodriguez's personal struggles with drug use were first detected in 2006 when he failed a drug test. The test showed that the 2002 UFC heavyweight champion had both cocaine and marijuana in his system. After a six month suspension from fighting, he did return to the sport. His name made headlines once more when he appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" in 2008.

Alistair Overeem

The use of performance enhancing drugs has also been a problem for MMA fighters. For instance, Alistair Overeem took a drug test in May of 2012 and he was revealed to have a high amount of testosterone. He claimed he was getting injections and did not realize the injections contained testosterone. He was suspended for nine months despite the explanation.

Cristiane Santos

In early 2012, Cristiane Santos was suspended for one year after she had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. The positive test results came just after she had won the women's Strikeforce featherweight championship. She lost the title when the final bout was changed from a win to a no contest.

Adam Smith

Adam Smith managed to test positive for three major drugs. He became the first MMA fighter to test positive for cocaine, marijuana and performance enhancing drugs in 2007. With two positive drug tests, one for the illegal drugs and one for the performance enhancing drugs, he faced an almost two year suspension. Though he tried to appeal the suspension, he reportedly failed to show up for the hearing and the appeal was dismissed.

Nick Diaz

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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Tests Positive for Drugs and Other Fighters with Drug Related Troubles