Another former Strikeforce champ tests positive

Third fighter under Strikeforce banner. 

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According to MMAFighting.com, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante tested positive for a banned substance, after his dominant win over Mike Kyle last month in San Jose, Calif. 

The story was first reported by boxing reporter Gabriel Montoya and later confirmed by California State Athletic Commission executive officer George Dodd. Dodd refused to reveal the banned substance Cavalcante tested positive for as of press time.

Cavalcante (12-3) is suspended one year and will have to pay a $2,500 fine. Yes, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal was fined a significant amount more for his positive test--and lost his win bonus--although it's the case of two different athletic commissions (CSAC and Nevada).

Cavalcante took just 33 seconds to submit Kyle in a rematch from their 2009 bout. Before this positive test made news, Cavalcante set himself up for a match with Gegard Mousasi for the vacant Strikeforce light heavyweight championship.

He is the third Strikeforce fighter this year to test positive for a banned substance. The other two are former women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (who was forced to vacant her title) and former light heavyweight champion Lawal (who has since signed with Bellator).

On a side note, former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz also tested positive for banned substances this year, but had already transitioned to the UFC. Of course, Overeem tested positive for much higher than allowed levels of testosterone, while Diaz failed his second test for marijuana within five years. 

Cavalcante's manager Ed Soares, who also manages UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and the Nogueira Bros., told MMAFighting.com that they will fight the suspension. 

"I believe in his innocence, and we're fighting it," Soares said. "We stand behind him. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense."

We will try to make sense of everything as this story develops.

Check out our video interview w/ former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ 'King Mo' Lawal: