Gastelum-Belfort Declared No-Contest; Gastelum Suspended 90 Days, Fined 20 Percent of Purse

Kelvin Gastelum is still adamant that he wants a fight with middleweight legend Anderson Silva, but for now, he's had his win over Vitor Belfort taken away.

Gastelum and Brazilian MMA Sports Tribunal (STJD-MMA), the judicial body of the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA), have entered into a plea agreement that will see the “Ultimate Fighter 17” winner suspended for 90 days, fined 20 percent of his fight purse and his March 11 victory over Belfort overturned to a no-contest. Gastelum made a disclosed $74,000 in victory, not including a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

Combate was first to report the news on Sunday, having obtained a copy of the plea agreement's terms from the STJD-MMA.

Following the 25-year-old's first-round knockout of Belfort in Fortaleza, Brazil, Gastelum was quickly rescheduled for Octagon action, accepting a fight with long-time 185-pound king Anderson Silva at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro on June 3. However, on April 6, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced that Gastelum has been flagged for cannabinoid metabolites, stemming from a drug sample collected on fight night after his win over Belfort.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship pulled Gastelum from the Silva bout on April 6 and no replacement opponent has been named yet for Silva. Gastelum's 90-day suspension will run retroactively, starting on March 11, the day of the sample collection.

Per the terms of his plea deal, Gastelum admitted to the use of carboxy-THC and if the Arizona native fails another drug test for cannabinoids or cannabinoid metabolites, he will be subject to a hearing in front of the STJD-MMA. In a statement given by STJD-MMA Marcelo Sedlmayer to MMAFighting.com, should Gastelum fail another drug test in similar fashion, he will face a more “aggressive” penalty.