James Thompson suspended one year for testing positive for steroid at Bellator 191

Longtime MMA veteran James Thompson could be on the shelf for a while after failing a drug test.

The Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation has suspended Thompson for one year after he tested positive for the steroid drostanolone, MMA Fighting confirmed Friday with the commission’s director Mike Mazzulli. The failed test came from a sample collected in-competition at Bellator 191 in Newcastle, England on Dec. 15, Mazzulli said.

The MMA Report was the first to break the news.

Mazzulli told MMA Fighting that he reached out to British promotion BAMMA and he expects the organization to honor the suspension if Thompson attempts to fight there.

Thompson, 39, fell to Philip De Fries via first-round submission at Bellator 191. It was his third straight loss. Thompson (20-17, 1 NC) has fought for promotions like Pride, EliteXC, Dream, Rizin and KSW in his 14-year MMA career.

The English heavyweight, nicknamed “The Colossus,” owns wins over the likes of Bobby Lashley, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Don Frye and Dan Severn.