UFC: Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino drug sample is flagged by USADA as a potential violation

Days after the UFC created a new women’s featherweight division that seemed ripe for domination by Orange County-trained Cris “Cyborg” Justino, the organization announced Thursday that a sample she submitted Dec. 5 has been flagged as a potential doping violation.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency notified Justino of the development from the out-of-competition test and will ultimately handle the “results management and adjudication of this case,” according to a UFC statement emailed to reporters Thursday.

The 31-year-old Justino (16-1) has fought twice in the UFC in catch-weight bouts above the bantamweight division. She recorded a first-round knockout of Leslie Smith in May, then returned home to Brazil in September to score a second-round finish of Lisa Lansberg.

Earlier this month, the UFC announced it was creating a new women’s featherweight division (145 pounds) that seemed best suited for Justino, who has complained of not being able to make the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds to fight Venice’s former champion, Ronda Rousey.

Instead, UFC President Dana White told the Los Angeles Times he couldn’t strike an agreement with Justino to fight on the featherweight debut Feb. 11 card at Barclays Center in New York, so former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and little-known contender Germaine de Randamie were placed in the bout.

“I didn’t turn down one title fight. I asked for a March date,” Justino tweeted after White’s comments.

Now she has graver concerns, since former light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones was slapped with a one-year suspension following his positive test in July for a banned substance, and USADA is empowered to invoke up to a two-year suspension.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire