Tuesday, the UFC released a statement on Hill's status within the UFC Anti-Doping Policy Registered Testing Pool (RTP), explaining that the 30-year-old Hill would receive an exemption from the RTP's mandatory four-month testing period necessary for UFC athletes. The exemption will clear the path for the Hill-Andrade bout to take place on the Feb. 4 UFC Fight Night 104 at the Toyota Center in Houston, headlined by featherweight “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung's return to action against Dennis Bermudez.
In December, Hill, the Invicta Fighting Championships 115-pound titlist, agreed to step in on short notice to replace an injured Maryna Moroz against Andrade at UFC 207 on Dec. 30. However, due to Hill being released from the UFC and exiting the RTP, the bout was temporarily nixed until Hill was able to re-enter the pool.
Previously, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was given an RTP exemption prior to his return at UFC 200 last July, where he defeated Mark Hunt via unanimous decision. The decision drew criticism, especially after Lesnar tested positive for anti-estrogen agent clomiphene and its metabolite hydroxyclomiphene in a pair of tests. On Dec. 15, the Nevada Athletic Commission confirmed Lesnar had reached a settlement which included a one-year suspension, $250,000 fine and the Hunt bout being changed to a No Contest.
In the UFC's Tuesday statement, the promotion said that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency re-enrolled Hill on Dec. 13 and given that she's been subject to routine random testing by USADA over the last seven weeks, there was sufficient basis to grant “Overkill” an exemption.
Hill exited the pool after going 0-2 in the UFC, losing bouts to Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas. In 2016, Hill signed with Invicta FC, going 4-0 on the year, taking the promotion's strawweight title from Livia Renata Souza, then successfully defending it with a 25-minute verdict over Kaline Medeiros at Invicta FC 20 in November.
Andrade, 25, dropped down to 115 pounds in 2016 and crushing former UFC title challenger Jessica Penne before choking out Scotland's Joanne Calderwood at UFC 203 in September.