Andrea Lee confirms USADA rule will keep her from UFC 216 debut

Pump the brakes on Andrea Lee's first walk to the Octagon.

Mere hours after MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani reported the LFA flyweight queen would debut against Kalindra Faria next week at UFC 216, Lee was told she couldn't make the short-notice bout due to her absence from the USADA drug testing pool.

Lee confirmed the development with a statement Saturday morning after sources broke it to Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting on Thursday.

The streaking Lee was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission last year for testing positive for banned diuretics in relation to her Invicta FC bout with Sarah D'Alelio. As a result - despite having competed four times in 2017 alone - she can't be cleared to compete under the UFC banner until she's been in its anti-doping partner's pool for at least six months.

Lee, 28, maintains she will put pen to paper for a deal with UFC and hopes to debut in either March or April. The promotion is currently looking for an opponent to keep Faria on next week's card, Cruz reports.

UFC 216 is set for Oct. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee will fight for an interim lightweight title in the main event, with Demetrious Johnson vying for a UFC record 11th title defense against fellow flyweight Ray Borg in the co-headliner.