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Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
Former flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez was suspended for nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after he tested positive for three banned substances (diuretics and masking agents) ahead of his March fight, a commission official told ESPN on Tuesday.
Mexico’s Martinez avoided a hearing when he reached an adjudication agreement with the commission, which was approved Tuesday, according to commission meeting minutes.
The punishment Martinez agreed to: a nine-month suspension retroactive to his March 30 victory over Angelino Cordova, which was changed to a no contest; a 15% fine of his $75,000 purse ($11,250) along with $157.04 in prosecution fees; enrollment in a drug-testing program.
If Martinez, 29, completes the program successfully, he’ll be reinstated Dec. 29.
Martinez (20-3, 15 KOs) scored a split decision victory over Cordova in Las Vegas on the Tim Tszyu-Sebastian Fundora undercard, part of the PBC on Prime prelims.
His prefight urine test that afternoon tested positive for diuretics and masking agents. Those banned substances increase urine volume and can be used to dilute doping agents in a drug test, but are also commonly used to aid in weight cutting.
Martinez won the 112-pound title in December 2019 and made seven defenses, though two have now been ruled no contests. Martinez originally won the title in August 2019 but that victory, too, was overturned to a no contest. (Both were due to fouls.)
Martinez’s lone loss during that time was at 115 pounds vs. future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez in March 2022. Martinez vacated the title last month and said he would now campaign at 115 pounds. He is ranked No. 3 by ESPN at flyweight but will be removed due to the suspension per policy.
Martinez previously tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in 2019. He faced no punishment then after the WBC ruled the result was due to contaminated beef consumed in Mexico. The Ring first reported the news.