USADA drug testing results pull Grant Dawson into NSAC hearing

An out-of-competition drug test conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is the subject of a Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing for Grant Dawson.

Dawson’s hearing, set for Jan. 22 in Las Vegas, is to address an application for a fight license, including “discussion and deliberation regarding ... United States Anti-Doping Agency out-of-competition anti-doping drug testing results,” per the agenda, which was released on Wednesday.

Per NSAC rules, the commission is not allowed to disclose details on pending cases before they become public; USADA rep Adam Woullard did not immediately return a request for comment. Under the anti-doping agency’s new rules, cases are not made public unless a fighter does so first or the case has been adjudicated.

The update comes one day after Dawson announced the cancellation of a scheduled fight against Chas Skelly on Saturday at UFC 246. Dawson previously has grappled with USADA over the presence of a long-term metabolite of the steroid oral turinabol, which also ensnared UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones in a cycle of positive and negative tests as the substance continued to “pulse” in his system.

Dawson was provisionally suspended after an out-of-competition failure scratched his UFC debut. He was then cut by the promotion, but chose to appeal a two-year suspension. After an extended deliberation, USADA reversed course and dropped its case against the fighter, citing new research into the long-term metabolite M3. Dawson inked a new contract with the UFC and went on to rack up back-to-back wins in fights against Julian Erosa and Michael Trizano.