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Williams' MMA Blog: "Pequeno" Tests Positive
By By: Alex Williams, MMATorch Contributor
Jul 9, 2008 - 8:25:09 PM

MMAFighting.com reports that Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira's steroid test for his June 1 WEC loss to Jose Aldo came back positive. The drug Nogueira had in his system, Boldenone, is the same one Stephan Bonnar was caught using in 2006. The 30-year old Nogueira was suspended for one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission.

Given that he just got stopped by Aldo, I don't see Nogueira's suspension impacting the WEC 145 pound title picture much. While Nogueira was the kingpin of the division in the first half of this decade, winning often in the Japanese Shooto organization with his signature ten-fingered guillotine choke, his seat on the throne may have been more due to fewer world class competitors at that weight at the time than particular greatness on his part. Also, with MMA still developing as a sport, sometimes fighters don't get old as much as the state of the game just passes their abilities by. Remember, too, that the 32-year old Carlos Newton, once a force at 170, has been reduced to journeyman status for several years now because of MMA's evolution.

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