Khalil Rountree Jr. has been officially suspended for 4.5 months due to a positive drug test for the banned substance DHEA, but this suspension will expire before his scheduled fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 307 on October 5, 2024. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) announced the suspension during its monthly meeting, where Rountree was present and praised for his cooperation and self-reporting of the incident.
Rountree (19-13-5) was fined $157.04 as part of a settlement agreement approved by the commission. During the hearing, NAC chairman Dallas Haun commended Rountree for his transparency, stating, “I’m glad he showed up, and the self-reporting obviously had a great influence on the commission’s decision here.” Rountree expressed gratitude for the commission’s thorough investigation, saying, “Thank you guys for looking into the details of the matter. It definitely has made a huge difference in everything that’s happening right now in my life.”
The suspension arose from Rountree’s accidental ingestion of DHEA through a blended supplement he received on May 2, 2024, just two days before providing a urine sample that tested positive on May 4. The Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) program confirmed that Rountree had self-reported the issue and provided documentation showing that the supplement company sent him “therapeutic blends” without prior approval. The owner of the supplement company described the situation as “a massive oversight on our part.”
CSAD determined that the amount of DHEA found in Rountree’s system was not likely to provide any significant performance benefits. Following the investigation, the UFC had internally suspended Rountree for two months, allowing him to return to the octagon in time for UFC 307.
The recent news puts to rest a period filled with uncertainty for the 34-year-old as he can now concentrate fully on his upcoming bout, where he has a shot at becoming the new light heavyweight king, a feat that could improve things for him in the division.
