Khalil Rountree Jr. remains suspended by Nevada Athletic Commission after failed drug test
UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. will have to wait at least another month to reach a resolution on his suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission after he tested positive for a banned substance prior to his scheduled bout at UFC 303 in June.
On Tuesday, the commission voted unanimously to extended Rountree’s temporary suspension, which was initially issued on June 26, pending a full disciplinary hearing or potential resolution being reached at a later date. Any punishment being handed down to Rountree will most likely happen at the next commission meeting scheduled in August.
Rountree was previously suspended for two-months by the Combat Sports Anti-Doping Agency — the in-house company that oversees the UFC’s anti-doping program — for the same violation.
The veteran fighter tested positive for 5a-androstanediol, 5b-androstanediol and androsterone, which are all metabolites of DHEA — an anabolic steroid prohibited at all times for athletes. Rountree issued a lengthy statement after he was pulled from the UFC 303 card in June where he admitted to accidentally ingesting the banned substance that was an ingredient in a supplement he was taking.
Rountree self-reported his error to the UFC and he provided information to show that the banned substance was included in one of the supplements without his approval. The company behind the supplement also took responsibility for the mistake and called it “a massive oversight on our part.”
As a result, Rountree received a two-month suspension that already expired on July 4.
Because Rountree was licensed to compete in Nevada at UFC 303, the state commission there also has jurisdiction over the failed drug test, which means he could also face additional punishment beyond the scope of the UFC’s anti-doping program.
For now, Rountree remains suspended pending a future hearing with the commission deciding on a potential punishment for the failed drug test.
Rountree last fought in December 2023 when he knocked out one-time UFC title challenger Anthony Smith, which extended his overall winning streak to five in a row. He’ll have to wait until at least August to find out his fate from the Nevada Athletic Commission before he can resume his career.