According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Interim WBA Heavyweight champion Luis Ortiz was suspended for 8-months and fined $8.000 for failing a post fight drug test following his September 11 first round stoppage over Lateef Kayode in Las Vegas.
In addition, Ortiz, a Cuban defector living in Miami, will be required to perform 15 hours of community service aimed toward children with an anti-bullying message.
He will also be requited to produce a clean test before his next fight and the commission reserved the right to randomly drug test him for the remainder of the year at his expense.
Gilberto Mendoza Jr. of the WBA, which sanctions Ortiz’s interim title, told ESPN.com on Monday evening that once it receives the paperwork from Nevada, Ortiz will be stripped of the belt, a move that likely will cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions.
“There is no reason why he tested positive for Nandrolone. He apologizes, he is remorseful and he is embarrassed. He has never used drugs,” Bonds told the commission before he blamed the positive test on Ortiz’s consumption of horse meat, which he said often is contaminated with Nandrolone and not uncommon for Cubans to eat.
“I came to America five years ago to accomplish my dream of becoming a world champion,” Ortiz said. “I don’t even know what this substance is. I’ve always trained very hard to accomplish my dream. I leave it all in your hands. I have faith and trust in you (the commission).”
“The only thing I know how to do is fight,” Ortiz said.
“It’s a positive test and it deserves our attention with a punishment similar to others who have some credible, and some not credible, explanations for their positive test,” commissioner Raymond “Skip” Avansino Jr. said.
