Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock Failed Drug Tests at Bellator 149

MMA stars Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock both failed drug tests at Bellator 149 in February.

According to Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting on March 11, the pair “had banned substances in their system, per the results of pre-fight drug tests.” 

Raimondi reported that both of the fighters "have been administratively suspended by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) pending an adjudication process.” It’s unclear what the tests detected in the samples.

On Monday, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported that Slice tested positive for nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, and an "elevated [testosterone-to-epitestosterone] ratio." Okamoto also reported that Shamrock tested positive for nandrolone, methadone and an elevated T/E ratio.

Both face one-year suspensions, per Okamoto.

Rich Schultz/Associated Press

The event, headlined by Shamrock’s clash with Royce Gracie, took place in Houston on Feb. 19 and was the most popular event in the promotion’s history.

The 52-year-old Shamrock lost in the first round via technical knockout, while Slice defeated Dada 5000 via stoppage in the third round. According to MixedMartialArts.com, that result has now been rendered a no-contest.

MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani didn’t seem surprised by the report:

Slice’s bout with Dada 5000 had to be stopped in the third round, with his opponent, whose real name is Dhafir Harris, suffering from exhaustion. As Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter reported, Harris fell into critical condition after the contest and needed to be resuscitated after his heart temporarily stopped.

Shamrock is an MMA icon, having been inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame. His professional record stands at 28-17-2; he also fought at UFC 1 and was the company’s first Superfight champion.

He has tested positive for banned substances in the past, though. In 2009, one of his samples contained three steroids, and he received a one-year suspension.