USADA hands Ricardo Abreu four-year suspension after second violation

It was not a good week for former UFC middleweight Ricardo Abreu. The Brazilian was handed a four-year suspension by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after his second policy violation. USADA announced the news on Friday (May 5, 2017).

Abreu, 33, originally popped for steroids, specifically Norandrosterone and noretiocholanolone, last year. He was given a two-year pink slip for that violation, but failed yet another out-of-competition test this past December while under suspension. This time around, Abreu tested positive for nandrolone metabolites and other 19-norsteroids.

“I already had a 3-year-old son and my wife was pregnant, and I had no idea if we would have money the next month,” Abreu told MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz after failing his second test. “I was afraid, and that fear dominated me. I was already a little depressed, and that depression only got bigger. I was afraid of everything. I had no courage for nothing, no energy. I thought nothing would work. I started to go down.”

While the four-year professional announced his retirement from MMA after his second USADA violation, he wouldn’t be eligible to return for a very long time anyways. In fact, his four-year suspension won’t even begin until he informs UFC and USADA that he’s resuming his fighting career.

Before his initial suspension, Abreu went 1-1 inside of the Octagon, submitting Wagner Silva Gomes in his debut in 2014 and losing to Jake Collier via split decision at UFC Fight Night 68. He’ll leave a 5-1 professional record behind.