Heavyweight Geronimo dos Santos scratched from UFC 153 card due to positive test for Hepatitis B

Geronimo dos Santos was scheduled to take on fellow Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga in his UFC debut at UFC 153. Unfortunately, a pre-fight drug test his not only forced dos Santos off of the card, but put his future in MMA in jeopardy.

According to Tatame, dos Santos' drug test administered by the UFC came back positive for Hepatitis B. The positive test forces dos Santos to immediately be removed from the card and his retrurn to MMA is questionable at best.  

"The contract is going to have to be voided because he just can't fight," dos Santos' manager Alex Davis said according to MMA Fighting. "But [UFC matchmaker] Joe [Silva] told me [Thursday] that if he does the chemotherapy and has a negative viral count, then he'll be back."

Hepatitis B is caused by irritation and swelling of the liver and chemotherapy is necessary to try and rid his body of the disease. The 34-14 fighter had also tested positive back in July 2010 prior to his fight with Josh Barnett. However, due to the disease being deemed as dormant, dos Santos was able to fight. He lost that fight by first round TKO.

With 48 fights under his belt, dos Santos was devastated by the news that he would be unable to compete in his first fight with the organization.

"He cried," Davis said. "It was a deep tragedy. This guy came from a very simple [background], a truck tire repair guy.