The fighter, who has never failed a drug test before in her UFC tenure, says the whole situation was an accident.
?It was an accident,? Cachoeira told MMA Fighting. ?My mother, who also has high blood pressure, saw me ill, so she gave me the medicine she usually takes. I had no idea what she was giving me. I wasn?t even thinking about USADA, I just wanted to get better. She has no idea what USADA does. When USADA told me the date of the test, I started thinking how that was possible, and then I remembered. I called my mom asking which medicine she gave me, and she said hydrocholorothiazide, the diuretic she uses. She started crying, feeling guilty about it, but I said it?s not her fault, that I?m an athlete and I?m the one that should worry about it.?
Veronica Macedo will step in on short notice to replace Cachoeira and face Lipski at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo.
Cachoeira hopes that USADA can understand her ordeal when issuing out a punishment in the future.
?I hope USADA understands the desperation of a mother seeing her daughter ill,? Cachoeira said. ?I wasn?t even thinking straight when that happened.?
There is no word yet on what kind of punishment the fighter could be facing or when said punishment could be announced.