Cristiane Santos stripped of title; Strikeforce division in doubt All Sports Room

Jan 10 2012

Cristiane Santos stripped of title; Strikeforce division in doubt

Posted by Angelina Merewether in Betting Advisor

Tags: Title, Title Strikeforce | Add comment

Strikeforce champion has been stripped of her 145-pound title after testing positive for anabolic steroids on Dec. 16, UFC President said on ESPN Radio on Friday.

White also mentioned that development has put in the Strikeforce women’s featherweight division in serious trouble.

“We were going to hold that division and just do fights with Cyborg whenever there was a new contender,” White told ESPN 1100 Las Vegas. “She’s getting stripped of the title. This pretty much kills the division.”

Santos tested positive for the drug stanozolol, also known as Winstrol, in a test administered the day before her successful Dec. 17 title defense against in San Diego, Calif. The California State Athletic Commission received the results on Dec. 23, and suspended Santos for one year in addition to a $2,500 fine. Also, her bout with Yamanaka was changed to a “no decision.”

Santos released a statement on her personal website on Saturday.

“I would sincerely like to apologize to Strikeforce, the Zuffa organization, Hiroko Yamanaka and my fans for my failed drug test,” she said. “I am ultimately responsible for everything I put in my body, and at the end of the day, there is no excuse for having a prohibited substance in my system.

“I do not condone the use of any performance enhancing drugs by myself or any professional athlete, and willingly accept the penalties and fines that have been handed down to me by the California State Athletic Commission and those of the Strikeforce/Zuffa organization.”

However, Santos did not admit to using the steroid; instead, she blamed the results of the drug test on a supplement she used during her weight cut.

“While I was preparing myself for my last fight, I was having a difficult time cutting weight and used a dietary supplement that I was assured was safe and not prohibited from use in sports competition,” she said. “It was never my intention to obtain an unfair advantage over Hiroko, mislead Strikeforce, the Commission or my fans.

“My only mistake is not verifying the diet aid with my doctor beforehand, and understanding that it was not approved for use in the ring. Unfortunately, in the end, I suffer the consequences and must accept the responsibility for my actions.”

Since dropping her professional debut in 2005, Santos accumulated ten consecutive victories prior to her fight with Yamanaka. In the 18 months leading up to her most recent fight, “Cyborg” had been essentially inactive—a result of contractual issues and a lack of challengers to her belt. She was immensely successful under the Strikeforce banner, earning dominant victories over , , , and since joining the promotion in 2009.

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