Yoel Romero accepts 6-month ban for failed drug test

Yoel Romero has accepted a six-month suspension for an anti-doping policy violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance from a contaminated supplement, the USADA announced on Monday.

The 38-year-old fighter tested positive for Ibutamoren, a Growth Hormone Secretagogue, after an out-of-competition test on Dec. 16, 2015 in Miami, Fla. Romero’s suspension began on Jan. 12, the date he was originally notified of his suspension.

Romero was reportedly set to receive a nine-month suspension beginning in January, but appealed the suspension in March.

Prior to the violation, the veteran Cuban fighter had won seven consecutive fights and held a top-five position in the 185-pound division. He has since been removed from the UFC's official rankings.