Gian Villante Cleared to Compete After USADA Grants Him Retroactive TUE

Gian Villante will not be flagged for a violation of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) policy.

Villante is set to compete against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on March 11 inside the Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil. The light heavyweight bout will be part of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night card.

Last month, Villante failed a drug test due to use of an inhaler, which contained a banned substance. USADA announced that Villante has been granted a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) and will be allowed to fight on March 11.

Below is part of USADA’s statement regarding Villante’s retroactive TUE:

“Upon a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Villante’s use of vilanterol, which included the retroactive TUE application process, USADA determined that the athlete had an unequivocally diagnosed acute medical condition for which the use of vilanterol is consistent with the standard of care. Further, it was determined that the short-term use of the Breo Ellipta inhaler was within the manufacturer’s therapeutic recommendation and was intended to return the athlete to a normal state of health without providing a performance-enhancing benefit. Finally, other permitted therapeutic alternatives were not successful at controlling the athlete’s condition.

Because Villante’s TUE application was granted retroactively, his declaration of a prohibited substance and his subsequent positive test will not result in an anti-doping policy violation. Accordingly, Villante remains eligible to compete on the UFC Fight Night Card in Fortaleza, Brazil, on March 11, 2017.”