Josh Barnett was originally facing a multi-year suspension after testing positive for banned substance Ostarine in December 2016. The UFC’s independent arbitration service, McLaren Global Sport Solutions (MGSS), headed by the author of the WADA report into Russian state doping, Richard McLaren, found Barnett to have only the minimum amount of fault and gave him a reprimand instead of a suspension.
This is the first time a UFC athlete has received a significantly better outcome from arbitration than from USADA. Richard McLaren acted as the arbitrator for Barnett’s case and found that USADA was wrong to count Barnett’s previous 2009 positive test under the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).