An investigation of Robbie Lawler’s ‘very suspicious’ test results

Rory MacDonald recently claimed on the MMA Hour that Robbie Lawler tested ‘four times higher than the limit,’ and had some ‘very suspicious’ results. I believe Rory is referring to the Nevada athletic commission tests which were performed at the WADA-accredited SMRTL lab In June 2015—prior to their UFC 189 bout—the results of which were first brought to my attention by @dimspace on twitter.The results of these tests do have an abnormal result: in a test on sample taken on June 5th, Lawler’s Luteinizing Hormone (LH) results came back at 64.2 mlU/mL. WADA guidelines label any result over 20.0 mlU/mL a presumptive adverse analytical finding which requires further testing. There is a caveat regarding the specific gravity of the urine involved, but it’s not applicable to Lawler’s results.The guidelines state that a follow up no-notice test should be conducted to look for evidence of PEDs which can potentially cause an elevated LH finding – selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or its synthetic analogues. It looks like the NAC performed a follow up test on a sample collected on June 17th, during which Lawler’s luteinizing hormone levels came back at 12.9mlU/mL, which is well within the normal range. The test also looked for SERMs, AIs and GnRH abnormalities, and didn’t find any. WADA guidelines also recommend an expert panel examine the results—as well as previous LH results—but it’s not clear if the Nevada athletic commission took this step.When the follow up test comes back negative, the initial test should be regarded as an atypical result. An atypical result is an abnormal result that is not evidence of performance enhancing drug use, and as a result is not considered a test “failure.” That’s what seems to have happened in this …

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