Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today confirmed that 12 of the 20 competitors who were tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale have all passed with flying colors.
Diego Sanchez, Clay Guida, James Wilks, DaMarques Johnson, Chris Lytle, Ross Pearson, Andre Winner, Joe Stevenson, Melvin Guillard, Brad Blackburn, Tomasz Drwal and Nick Osipczak were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others.
Results from these battery of tests all returned negative.
The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed tests in the past.
For example, Guillard tested positive for cocaine after his loss to Stevenson at UFC Fight Night 9 in Las Vegas in April 2007. He was fined and suspended by NSAC for the transgression.
The UFC dished out $430,000 in fighter salaries for the Spike TV event at the "The Pearl" at the Palms Resort and Casino and $200,000 in additional bonus money for the four participants who delivered outstanding performances.
Diego Sanchez more than likely earned a lightweight title shot in TUF 9 Finale main event, going to war with Clay Guida for three frenetic full rounds for a split decision win. In other action, Ross Pearson and James Wilkes did the United Kingdom proud by winning the final fight in their respective weight classes to be crowned the latest TUF champions.
For complete results and coverage of "Sanchez vs. Guida" click here and here.