ONE Championship has suspended Banma Duoji after the Chinese MMA fighter tested positive for a banned substance last month, a source told the Bangkok Post.
The 27-year-old is serving a six-month ban having failed a doping test immediately after his first-round TKO of Joshua Perreira in their flyweight bout at ONE Fight Night 29 on March 8.
“The Prince” tested positive for Furosemide, which is on the international standard prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Banma’s victory over Perreira, who was finished after an ACL tear in his knee left him compromised, will be overturned and deemed a no contest.
Furosemide is a diuretic which is banned in sport as it can help reduce weight and also increase urine production – which in turn can help flush the system of other prohibited substances before a doping test.
ONE’s anti-doping partner, International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM), collected in-competition samples from Banma and the USA’s Perreira at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
IDTM, which adheres to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s International Standard Prohibited List, sent the samples for testing at its base in Sweden.
Banma missed weight for his previous fight, where he lost via decision in a 136.2lbs catchweight bout against Danial Williams last October.
His positive test is the latest in a string of recent doping suspensions in ONE Championship, with Muay Thai stars Elias Mahmoudi, Kiamran Nabati, Ferrari Fairtex and Dmitry Menshikov all picking up bans in the last five months. IDTM, which merged with Drug Free Sport International in September 2018, works with more than 300 major international sport and athletic organisations including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, the PGA Tour, LPGA, and NCAA.