UFC president Dana White has commented on the suspension of Chris Leben.

Leben tested positive for Stanazolol in a test administered by the UFC prior to his fight with Michael Bisping in Birmingham, England on October 18.

He has been suspended for nine months.

“I am obviously disappointed with Chris, who has made great strides getting his life back on track,” said White said in a statement, referring to Leben’s past battles with alcohol. “To his credit, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is accepting the punishment that has been handed down.

“But as always, the UFC puts the safety of its athletes first and foremost, and we won’t tolerate anyone using performance enhancing drugs in our organization.”

Leben, 28, was also fined one-third of his prize money from the Bisping fight.

“This is a huge setback for me, but it is something I will have to deal with,” Leben said in a statement released by UFC.

“During my time off from fighting, I want to speak to kids about the dangers of using performance enhancing agents and let them know it just doesn’t get you ahead in life.”

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com