Lee temporarily suspended after positive test for Adderall
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) placed Kevin Lee on temporary suspension after the UFC fighter tested positive for the amphetamine Adderall, an NSAC representative confirmed to MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti on Wednesday.
Lee reportedly tested positive for the banned stimulant in an NSAC-administered drug test related to his Aug. 28 welterweight bout against Daniel Rodriguez in Las Vegas. Lee lost to Rodriguez by unanimous decision.
The NSAC is expected to hear the 29-year-old's case in full at its next meeting on Nov. 17, per Al-Shatti.
Lee wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday that a doctor prescribed him Adderall in 2020 to treat his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He said he was diagnosed with ADHD in 2018.
Lee added that he informed USADA, the UFC's anti-doping partner, of his Adderall use but didn't apply for a therapeutic use exemption from the NSAC, which may have allowed him to compete while taking the drug.
"It was never my intention to gain an athletic advantage," Lee wrote. "It was an attempt to conquer the severe anxiety I silently suffer from daily.
"I am actively cooperating with the NSAC and expect to reach an agreement on a sanction. ... Sorry for my lack of professionalism that (led) to this disappointment."
Lee, a former interim lightweight title challenger and once one of the most promising UFC prospects, is 1-4 in his past five bouts dating back to 2018.