Several months ago, former Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko tested positive for a banned substance according to the California State Athletic Commission, which MMAJunkie later revealed to be an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 50:1. Because of this, at a hearing last week in front of the commission, Shlemenko was fined $10,000 and suspended for three years.

However, according to the former Bellator middleweight champion, he does not plan to go away quietly following his "unjust" suspension. He called the result "predictable" and plans to take action against the commission.

"It would be naive to think that members of the Athletic Commission at a meeting of the athletic commission would decide that the Athletic Commission was mistaken," Shlemenko explained to Sports.ru. "The result was predictable."

Shlemenko's main defense during the hearing was the lack of a B sample to confirm the positive test. He believes there was no way for him to prove his innocence without the sample result.

"The participants of the tournament took five doping tests. There were only four in the laboratory. This calls into question the accuracy of the commission in this tournament. Secondly, I do not have the B sample - how do I justify myself? Third, there is a contract between the laboratory and WADA Athletic Commission, which implies that the B Sample is taken. But the B Sample was not there. Fourth, it is an indirect sign, but it is also important: testing was not random..

"A result of the analysis is that, if I took a drug before the drug test. It contains oxandrolone, which has not yet been processed by the body. A ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone - 50 to 1, it is simply a world record. That is, I try to expose not only the "chemist", but also a fool who would inject himself before the doping test. My task now is to sue. Because everything will be different in court."

According to Shlemenko, the CSAC offered the Russian a shortened suspension of one year in exchange for a guilty plea. Shlemenko refused to tarnish his reputation any further and rejected the offer.

"It would been less costly, I guess. But I would never do that. Reputation story cost me dearly - that no amount of money that can buy that back. My reputation isn't just tarnished, it is crushed. I can do nothing but to go to court. I know I'm right. And most importantly - it is necessary to defend one's innocence without considering which would be more profitable."