ONE Championship mixed martial artist Lucas Gabriel has spoken out after being handed a six-month suspension for a doping violation – insisting he never intended to gain an unfair advantage.
The 25-year-old tested positive for Furosemide and Betamethasone after his unanimous decision win over Zhang Lipeng at ONE Fight Night 31 in Bangkok on May 3.
The result was subsequently overturned and recorded as a no contest, and Gabriel was suspended under ONE’s anti-doping policy.
In a statement to the Bangkok Post, Gabriel said he had taken the substances more than two weeks before fight night, on a doctor’s recommendation, to treat a chronic leg injury and a broken toe sustained during training camp.
“I fully understand the importance of upholding the integrity of the sport, and I deeply respect ONE Championship’s commitment to clean competition,” Gabriel said.
“What I took were an anti-inflammatory and a diuretic, both under a doctor’s recommendation and more than 15 days before the fight. I have a chronic injury in my left leg – confirmed with MRI scans – and during camp, I also broke a toe.
“The medication was meant to reduce swelling and help me recover. I was told the substances would be out of my system well before fight night.”
Gabriel, who shared medical scans of the injuries with the Bangkok Post, said he was “genuinely” unaware the anti-inflammatory was on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list.
“I’ve never taken anything to gain an unfair advantage,” he said. “In fact, both substances impair performance rather than enhance it.”
He added that the reaction to the news of his suspension had been especially difficult to deal with.
“I have a family, a fiancée, and sponsors here in Thailand who have supported me through everything. The [news] has reached far and wide, and the weight of public perception is sometimes harder to carry than the actual penalty.”
Gabriel confirmed he will not contest the six-month suspension, but said he will formally request a review of the result change.
“This is a difficult chapter, but as fighters, we learn to fight through all kinds of adversity – inside and outside the ring,” he said.
“Given how publicly this situation has unfolded, I will be respectfully requesting an appeal – not to change the suspension, which I accept fully – but to reconsider the change to the fight result. I believe the victory was earned fairly, and I hope to be given the chance to defend that result and show that my intentions have always been clean.”
Gabriel, who proposed to his partner in the ring at Lumpinee Stadium after his win over Zhang, trains out of Phuket Fight Club. His suspension is due to expire in early November.
The 25-year-old tested positive for Furosemide and Betamethasone after his unanimous decision win over Zhang Lipeng at ONE Fight Night 31 in Bangkok on May 3.
The result was subsequently overturned and recorded as a no contest, and Gabriel was suspended under ONE’s anti-doping policy.
In a statement to the Bangkok Post, Gabriel said he had taken the substances more than two weeks before fight night, on a doctor’s recommendation, to treat a chronic leg injury and a broken toe sustained during training camp.
“I fully understand the importance of upholding the integrity of the sport, and I deeply respect ONE Championship’s commitment to clean competition,” Gabriel said.
“What I took were an anti-inflammatory and a diuretic, both under a doctor’s recommendation and more than 15 days before the fight. I have a chronic injury in my left leg – confirmed with MRI scans – and during camp, I also broke a toe.
“The medication was meant to reduce swelling and help me recover. I was told the substances would be out of my system well before fight night.”
Gabriel, who shared medical scans of the injuries with the Bangkok Post, said he was “genuinely” unaware the anti-inflammatory was on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list.
“I’ve never taken anything to gain an unfair advantage,” he said. “In fact, both substances impair performance rather than enhance it.”
He added that the reaction to the news of his suspension had been especially difficult to deal with.
“I have a family, a fiancée, and sponsors here in Thailand who have supported me through everything. The [news] has reached far and wide, and the weight of public perception is sometimes harder to carry than the actual penalty.”
Gabriel confirmed he will not contest the six-month suspension, but said he will formally request a review of the result change.
“This is a difficult chapter, but as fighters, we learn to fight through all kinds of adversity – inside and outside the ring,” he said.
“Given how publicly this situation has unfolded, I will be respectfully requesting an appeal – not to change the suspension, which I accept fully – but to reconsider the change to the fight result. I believe the victory was earned fairly, and I hope to be given the chance to defend that result and show that my intentions have always been clean.”
Gabriel, who proposed to his partner in the ring at Lumpinee Stadium after his win over Zhang, trains out of Phuket Fight Club. His suspension is due to expire in early November.
