With the UFC calendar ready to kick into gear this weekend, I wrap up my annual MMA year in review series with a look back at October through December 2023, joined by Paul Fontaine.
Some of the highlights in our 80-minute conversation:
The UFC and USADA splitting up and the messy situation that ensued
Francis Ngannou shocking the combat sports world with his decision loss to Tyson Fury
Conor McGregor officially announcing his UFC return date
PFL finally closing the deal on Bellator and their potential upside in a UFC-dominated world
The UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden that saw two new champions crowned without the planned Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic main event
UFC signing a record deal with Bud Light and the backlash that followed
Islam Makhachev continuing his dominance
Leon Edwards closing the door on Colby Covington’s UFC relevancy
Some of Paul’s favorite fights and a prediction for what planned fight might not happen
In a fiery Thursday press conference, two UFC executives outlined the reasons the company is choosing to split with USADA, their new partner and protocol for testing, and potential legal ramifications for their treatment of Conor McGregor.
Chief business officer Hunter Campbell and senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitsky spoke to the media for nearly an hour, at times getting emotional about USADA’s revelation Wednesday that UFC was not renewing their deal at the end of the year and their implications that McGregor was getting special treatment.
Campbell said UFC sent a legal letter to USADA Wednesday night that will be released to online media soon. He said that when he and Novitsky told USADA they were leaving, USADA CEO Travis Tygart “lost his mind” and was “completely unhinged.” Campbell said Tygart later confirmed that no one in UFC ever told USADA that McGregor could fight without being in the program for six months.
Campbell, who has been working closely with McGregor, said he didn’t care how many times McGregor tested clean and that he wasn’t fighting until that six months had passed. He said McGregor volunteered to re-enter the USADA testing program even though he was told UFC would be parting ways with them.
“What they have done to (McGregor) is disgusting. For a entity that holds themselves out to have honor and integrity, using him as a media vehicle to advance a fake narrative is disturbing, disgusting and I think they have some legitimate legal liability they should be very concerned with,” Campbell said.
He said McGregor is 100% in the USADA pool and that the former two-division champion has “conducted himself with integrity and honesty” and is “very upset at the moment with how (USADA) has used him.” He said he told Tygart that McGregor wasn’t fighting in December no matter what he says.
Campbell said USADA runs like a dictatorship and that they weren’t used to dealing with someone like McGregor who is an independent contractor vs. athletes they usually deal with who make a pittance compared to McGregor and will do whatever they say.
“They like being able to be the authority figure to tell you what’s what,” he said.
Campbell and Novitsky took issue with the “damage” Tygart and USADA has done to the UFC’s Anti-Doping Program as a whole over the last 48 hours. Campbell said that they are grateful for all that USADA had done for them since they became partners in 2015 and they couldn’t be at this point without them, adding the relationship was good up until the last two-to-three years.
Campbell said they have fielded calls from fighters, managers and otherwise assuming the program was done immediately with Novitsky saying half of their athletes assume there’s no program.
That is not the case as USADA is contracted through year’s end. Novitsky said he feels UFC has the best anti-doping program in sports and called USADA’s actions and claims “false, garbage, trash.”
Campbell said he believes UFC made up 25-30% of USADA revenue and feels Tygart was acting under “self preservation” as he has a board to report to.
Novitsky outlined the new program in full detail and that UFC will begin working with Drug Free Sports International for sample collection. The group has worked with the NBA, NFL, NHL, and other pro sports leagues. He feels the new program will be more efficient, smarter, more convenient for athletes and will take better advantage of technology.
Both Campbell and Novitsky took umbrage with the lack of an app to track fighter location despite repeatedly requesting it and spending millions upon millions with USADA.
Dr. Dan Eichner, who runs a lab with the highest accreditation in anti-doping, will run the UFC’s laboratory analysis while former FBI special agent George Piro will be the independent administrator running the UFC program. He was the team leader of the interrogation team for former Iraq head Saddam Hussein.
Piro will have the final say based on test results with no influence from UFC leadership. An arbitration process would occur with an independent party if the athlete decided to fight a positive result.
Novitsky said there will not be testing done with fighters who are cutting weight hours before weigh-ins, retired fighters, or other strange and mistimed situations that have been a frustration for fighters and UFC for years.
Novitsky also discussed the infamous Jon Jones situation in the past with picograms of turninabol metabolites that didn’t leave his system, saying Eichner pointed out that picograms could remain in someone’s body for the rest of their lives.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back including SOME PERSPECTIVE DAMMIT on the ratings for AEW vs. NXT on Tuesday, UFC and USADA split and USADA throws them under the bus, line-ups for upcoming shows, NWA to a top 20 network, WOL searching for a top 20 network, and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) will no longer be involved with UFC’s Anti-Doping Program starting this January in a situation the former called “untenable” due to UFC’s stance on Conor McGregor
The company went into detail in a statement Wednesday explaining why it would no longer be associated with the program beginning on January 1, 2024, ending a sometimes controversial partnership to oversee the company’s anti-doping program that began in 2015.
After confirming that McGregor had re-entered the UFC drug testing pool on October 8th, USADA claimed that despite a positive contract renewal meeting in May, UFC did “an about-face” and informed them they would not be renewing their contract with USADA this past Monday with the UFC saying they would be going in “a different direction.”
As of now, it’s unclear what the direction will be.
USADA also stated that the relationship between itself and UFC had become “untenable” given comments made by “UFC leaders and others” questioning “USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months.”
McGregor has not fought in the UFC since a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021 where he broke his tibia in the fight. He coached this past season of The Ultimate Fighter against Michael Chandler with the hope both men would fight this year. However, there is no clear timeline for when the fight will happen.
The full statement can be read below:
“We can confirm that Conor McGregor has re-entered the USADA testing pool as of Sunday, October 8, 2023. We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months. The rules also allow USADA to keep someone in the testing pool longer before competing based on their declarations upon entry in the pool and testing results.
Unfortunately, we do not currently know whether the UFC will ultimately honor the six-month or longer requirement because, as of January 1, 2024, USADA will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program. Despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, the UFC did an about-face and informed USADA on Monday, October 9, that it was going in a different direction.
We are disappointed for UFC athletes, who are independent contractors who rely on our independent, gold-standard global program to protect their rights to a clean, safe, and fair Octagon. The UFC’s move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under USADA’s leadership.
The relationship between USADA and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months. One UFC commentator echoed this, recently declaring that USADA should not oversee the UFC program since we held firm to the six-month rule involving McGregor, and since we do not allow fighters without an approved medical basis to use performance-enhancing drugs like experimental, unapproved peptides or testosterone for healing or injuries simply to get back in the Octagon.
Fighters long-term health and safety – in addition to a fair and level playing field – are more important to USADA than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes. USADA is proud of the work we’ve done over the past eight years to clean up the UFC, and we will continue to provide our unparalleled service to UFC athletes through the remainder of our current contract, which ends December 31, 2023. As always, we will continue to uphold the rights and voices of clean athletes in all sport.”
In a video released Wednesday, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said they will continue to test athletes during the coronavirus pandemic as long as it remains safe and possible, which includes UFC fighters and those preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.
In the four minute video, Tygart said that any USADA collection officer showing any sign of the COVID-19 virus will be collecting samples and, where available, agents will wear personal protective gear like masks and gloves while attempting to maintain a six foot distance.
One potential issue not addressed is with those who carry the virus that are asymptomatic which could include their testers. Additionally, the availability of the protective gear is another problem given the shortages that many hospitals are running into.
Given that UFC fighters are around the world, that the virus has reached all corners of that world, and the organization’s past conflicts with fighters on collecting samples raises concerns as to whether this is the right thing to do at the current time.
The UFC ran an empty arena show this past Saturday in Brasilia, Brazil, but had to postpone their next three shows after pushing hard not to do so. As of this point, UFC’s next show on the books is mid-April’s UFC 249 which doesn’t have a home following New York State’s ban on public assemblies of 50 people or more.
Coming off of an underwhelming first quarter financial report and a week of record-low ratings, this Monday’s Raw offered WWE the chance to show they understand how to fix the problem.
WWE did acknowledge that the problem exists. Hoping to help out the ratings and counter two NBA playoff games, WWE hyped that SmackDown’s Roman Reigns would be appearing on Raw. His appearance was made apparent but not actually officially announced in advance, with WWE playing up that Reigns was defying a statement they put out claiming that he couldn’t be on the show due to his obligations as a SmackDown wrestler.
An update on AEW distribution, PPV, television and streaming, is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Look at the full distribution around the world for Double or Nothing, as well as updating where things stand when it comes to television.
Look at pricing, preshow, who is carrying it, how strong ITV 4 is, how this compares with WWE’s distribution and probable viewership, where things stand with U.K. television, details on Casino Battle Royale plans, the main championship, updating the show and lots of new signings.
Go in-depth on not just the XFL television deal and finances, but the lessons of the deal and how the deal is a 180 from the UFC deal.
Also look at the changes in Raw and Smackdown this past week, why they were made, where NBC Universal and FOX stand, WWE star power, how the European tour affected this week’s television, how it affects touring, plus updates on the Money In The Bank show.
Also look at the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, including what matches to watch out for, the schedule, the positioning of Will Ospreay, and the schedule.
Look at the two New Japan Dontaku events, what the events say about both Japan and U.S. popularity, the story behind Okada vs. Sanada, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
Additional notes by Joseph Currier
WWE
SmackDown tonight is a taped show from the O2 London in England. A fatal four-way match between Finn Balor, Ali, Randy Orton and Andrade is the featured match. Kevin Owens has also invited Kofi Kingston to be part of the Kevin Owens Show and the team of Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose will take on Asuka and Kairi Sane.
205 Live will see the cruiserweights collide with the NXT UK brand. Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese will face Ligero in a non-title match, while Jack Gallagher, Humberto Carrillo, Mark Andrews and James Drake will face one another in a fatal four-way match.
Vince McMahon, along with other key WWE executives, talked to Variety for a cover story about WWE’s move to FOX this fall, the Last Week Tonight segment on WWE, and their momentum. McMahon said wrestlers can get time off without repercussions: “Anybody who wants time off can get time off. That’s easy. In addition to that, it’s easy to weave a talent in and out of a storyline. If they get injured, you’re not expecting that. Or if they have a family matter. Our characters are real people with real problems. It’s a revolving situation where this talent will work these dates, that talent will work those dates.”
Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Shayna Baszler and Matt Riddle are being advertised for next month’s’ Download Festival.
WALTER retained the WWE United Kingdom Championship against R-Truth at yesterday’s SmackDown house show in Bournemouth, England.
The WrestleMania main event between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte and Becky Lynch has been nominated for a MTV Movie/TV award for Best Fight. Roman Reigns is nominated for Best Real-Life Hero.
Tony Khan spoke to ITV about Double or Nothing and the partnership between AEW and ITV.
UFC/MMA
Anderson Silva did not suffer any serious leg injury after his loss this weekend to Jared Cannonier. No ligaments were damaged but will need physical therapy before getting back to training.
Silva also commented on the loss, saying (translation by MMAJunkie): “Until the limit. Pain is your friend. It shows you are not dead yet. They say that great symbols become great targets, perhaps. But the most important thing is to not victimize yourself. If you fell, get up. If it’s broken, fix it. No giving up or thinking that you can’t because you lost a battle. There is one saying, I will go until the end and the more they pressure me, the more I will want to go until the end. There’s nothing wild that feels sorry for itself. An old lion surrounded by hungry [hyenas], crazy to devour him and he still fights to the death without ever feeling sorry for himself. And it won’t be different with me. Strength and honor.”
Neil Magny is out of UFC Rochester on May 18, where he was supposed to face Vicente Luque. He wrote on Instagram: On Saturday, May 11, 2019, I [received] an email from USADA stating that I have failed an “out of competition drug test” due to the banned substance “Di-Hydroxy-LGD-4033”. I am fully cooperating with USADA to determine how this substance was found in the sample I provided them on May 5, 2019. I have always been an advocate for the strict drug testing in the UFC, even to the extent of opting for my collected samples to be used for research purposes by USADA. I know without a doubt that I have done everything according to the standards set by USADA. I have faith in USADA that this situation will resolved in a timely manner and that I will be cleared of any [wrongdoing]. To all of my fans and supporters, thank you. I assure you that I have not let you down.
Frankie Edgar talked to MMA Fighting about his next fight against Max Holloway. He also said that Volkanovski, who is on a 17 fight winning streak, will get his time.
The UFC 237 prelims averaged 813k on ESPN this past Saturday.
Johnny Walker told TMZ Sports that he feels great after shoulder surgery and wants to face Jon Jones.
Cody Garbrandt’s manager Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie that he turned down a UFC on ESPN+ 13 fight to let him recover more from a knockout loss a few months ago. He also wants the two TJ Dillashaw wins vacated following Dillashaw’s suspension.
According to Brett Okamoto, Kron Gracie is looking to fight at UFC 241 in Anaheim.
Ed in San Antonio presents PODER~! at the FSW arena on Friday 5/24 – Showtime is at noon – Main event: Bryan Alvarez vs. Logan Stunt
Empire dinner on Friday 5/24 at 8:30 p.m. at Texas de Brazil – Price is $82 – All you can eat meat and salad, sodas, tea, and coffee, plus dessert included
Empire suite party on Friday 5/24 for those who were not able to get the Q&A package – Price is $25
Smackdown, Mixed Match Challenge and 205 Live are from Las Vegas. Among the things announced for the show is a rap battle with Sheamus & Cesaro vs. The Usos with New Day as hosts, Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair, and Mixed Match Challenge Smackdown finals with Carmella & R-Truth vs. The Miz & Asuka.
As we enter December, it feels like 2019 has been cemented as an absolutely pivotal year for the immediate future of professional wrestling. The global arms race for talent continued this past week. It was confirmed that WALTER, who is legitimately one of the best wrestlers in the world, has signed with WWE. He’s been signed for NXT’s United Kingdom brand and could play a part in the potential NXT Germany.
A look at the life of Dynamite Kid is the lead story in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer.
Look at his influence on the industry, his in-ring sacrifices, read comments from Bret Hart & Julie Hart, a look at his early days and his arrival in Stampede Wrestling, and his explosion of popularity in Japan.
Also look at Vince McMahon’s latest stock sale, as well as co-President George Barrios selling stock.
Read about the decision to flip flop Takeover and the Hall of Fame ceremony in April. Look at awards given to Cena, wrestlers and charity work, and more on the restrictions placed on U.K.
Look more at the XFL and the battle with the AAF that Vince McMahon is going to have starting next spring.
Examine UFC’s decision to sign Greg Hardy and debut him on the same show as Rachael Ostovich and the marketing behind both fights.
Read the update on the New Japan tag team tournament tour with results, business notes, lineups, the Tanahashi & Okada tag team and more.
This issue has an update on the WWE TLC show, with the card, plus ticket sale updates.
Read full coverage of both UFC shows from the past week, with match-by-match coverage and business notes on both shows.
Also look at the PPV numbers for Liddell vs. Ortiz what lessons is teaches.
There is also coverage of AAA’s Guerra de Titanes and ICW’s Fear and Loathing.
Read more on the MMA debut of the former Jack Swagger.
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If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
PWInsider reported that Jason Jordan was in Birmingham, Alabama last weekend getting his neck evaluated. He’s been out of action for around a year and has been working as a producer.
John Cena was on The Graham Norton show with actor Matthew Mcconaughey, who brought up he was once kicked out a an arena in Treeport for throwing tomatoes at Skandor Akbar.
Pre-show tickets for a SmackDown event in Elmira, New York on March 23 will go on sale on 12/14. Matches already being advertised include Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev for the United States title, AJ Styles vs. The Miz and Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch. Obviosuly, the card is subject to change. Click here for tickets, pre-sale code is WWELIVE.
Rhyno reiterated on social media that he is not retired and will fulfill contractual obligations after being “fired” from Raw last week.
Titus O’Neil shot a cover for his upcoming book “There’s No Such Thing As A BAD Kid” at the WWE Performance Center today. The book will be released next summer.
Kevin Owens will be making an appearance at the Cavalcade of Custons at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio on January 11 from 6-8 p.m.
WWE wrestlers were on a Try Not to Laugh challenge video for Fine Brothers Entertainment.
Matt Hardy spoke to Wrestling Inc, saying there wasn’t a timetable for his return, but he plans to return to the ring.
Bothmembers of the Revival commented on Seth Rollins’ shout out on Raw last night.
You can watch Becky Lynch on Ariel Helwani’s MMA show here.
Pro Wrestling
Joe Doering and Dylan James won this year’s AJPW Real World tag league. They defeated Suwama and Shuji Ishikawa to earn 14 points overall, putting them ahead of everyone else.
Tetsuya Naito cut a promo on Chris Jericho wearing Jericho’s recent facepaint ahead of their match at Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Tank Abbott, who had stints both in UFC and WCW, spoke to Hannibal TV recently. He said he recently got a liver transplant, dying five times on the operating table during the surgery. He’s since lost 100 pounds and has quit drinking.
UFC/MMA
ESPN got a statement from USADA explaining why the site reverted back to showing Lesnar submitting five tests when originally there were six. “USADA updates the Athlete Test History page of the UFC/USADA website on a weekly basis,” said USADA spokesperson Adam Woullard to ESPN. “During an update on the week of October 15th, we experienced a technical issue that resulted in the information on the page being displayed incorrectly. The correct test history for the athlete is one test [that week], not two. The issue has been fixed and the testing numbers on the website are all accurate. We are still investigating the specific technical issue that led to the error.”
Valentina Shevchenko isn’t in a rush to face Joanna Jedrzejczyk again after defeating her this past weekend to win the flyweight title.
Jedrzejczyk was interviewed by Polsat Sport, saying she gave everything in that fight, but did make some mistakes.
Jessica Penne and Jodie Esquibel in a strawweight division fight will take place on UFC’s ESPN debut on 2/17.
ESPN says that UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia sold out “in minutes”.
One of the best mixed martial artists of all-time is looking to return this fall after the results of a failed drug test were confirmed to be caused by contaminated supplements.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva accepted a one-year suspension from USADA retroactively beginning in November 2017 after the drug testing organization found that the supplements Silva received from a Brazilian pharmacy were tainted.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
According to a USADA press release, Silva will be eligible to return as early as November 10 and in a statement to Helwani via his team, he intends to keep fighting.
The 43-year-old tested positive for an anabolic steroid while preparing for a fight against Kelvin Gastelum in November. He was suspended for a year in 2015 after testing positive for several banned substances following his fight with Nick Diaz.
He last competed in February 2017, picking up a decision win over Derek Brunson. After a run of dominance that saw him become a major star in the sport, he went winless in his last five (Chris Weidman twice, Diaz, Daniel Cormier).
Josh Barnett is the latest UFC fighter to be flagged for a potential drug test violation.
Barnett, 39, who doubles as co-host of New Japan World Pro Wrestling on AXS, was reported today to have had an issue with a December 9th out-of-competition test issued by USADA.
Barnett had tested positive for banned substances previously in 2001 in Nevada, after a win over Bobby Hoffman, in 2002 in Nevada, after he captured the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture, and in 2009 in California, prior to a fight with Fedor Emelianenko.
He is coming off a win over Andrei Arlovski on September 3rd in Hamburg, Germany and was not signed to a new fight.
Barnett was also a pro wrestling star in Japan, and became a protege of Billy Robinson. He headlined the January 4th, 2003, show at the Tokyo Dome, losing in the main event for the IWGP title against Yuji Nagata.
Continuing a month that has been full of noteworthy drug testing news, USADA announced on Wednesday that UFC featherweight Chad Mendes has been suspended for two years following an out-of-competition drug test failure.
The test that caused the failure was taken on May 17th and Mendes was informed of the potential violation on June 10th. The substance that triggered the failure was revealed to be growth hormone GHRP-6.
Mendes last fought Frankie Edgar in December of 2015 at the Ultimate Fighter 22 finale show. Before that, he lost to Conor McGregor at UFC 189 after stepping in for an injured Jose Aldo on short notice.
Mendes will be eligible to return to mixed martial arts competition in 2018.
The full USADA statement is available below:
“USADA announced today that UFC athlete Chad Mendes, of Sacramento, Calif., has received a two-year sanction for an anti-doping policy violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Mendes, 31, tested positive for GHRP-6 (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hexapeptide) following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on May 17, 2016. GHRP-6 is a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.
Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides are listed as Non-Specified Substances on the WADA Prohibited List. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the standard sanction for an anti-doping policy violation involving a Non-Specified Substance is a two-year period of ineligibility.
Mendes’ two-year period of ineligibility began on June 10, 2016, the date on which he received a provisional suspension. In addition, Mendes has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to May 17, 2016, the date of sample collection, including forfeiture of any title, ranking, purse or other compensation.
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. The anti-doping program run by USADA for UFC athletes includes education, science and research, testing, and results management. Official UFC Anti-Doping Program information and athlete resources are available at UFC.USADA.org.”
UFC Hall-of-Famer BJ Penn is out of UFC 199 in roughly two weeks because he admitted to using an IV back in March. Yes, you read that right.
Originally scheduled to fight against Dennis Siver and then Cole Miller on the June 4th event, Penn has been provisionally suspended by USADA for using an IV “in excess of 50 ML for more than a six-hour period” which is now banned in or out of competition except while used in a hospital, surgical procedure, or as part of a diagnostic clinical investigation.
As you’ll see below, Penn said he was unclear that IV use was now banned year-round, saying it had changed since his last fight which was in July 2014. As FloSports’ Jeremy Botter pointed out on Twitter, Penn was talking about IVs being for “wimps” last year.
The 37-year-old was looking to make a comeback after a near two year absence and three straight lossses.
On his website, Penn released the following:
“I voluntarily disclosed to USADA that during a non-fight period that I had an IV administered under the care of a doctor. The rule for IV usage had changed since my last fight in the UFC and was unaware of the change and voluntarily disclosed the information to USADA. I had no idea that IV use was banned 365 days a year. At no time in my career in martial arts have I ever doped and anticipate all test results from USADA will come back clean and will be working with the UFC to get the matter cleared up and return to fight as soon as possible.”
The UFC released the following:
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed BJ Penn of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation. Penn disclosed the usage of a prohibited method – the use of an IV in excess of 50 ML in a six-hour period – during a March 25, 2016, out-of-competition sample collection. In accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, Penn has received a provisional suspension, and has been removed from his scheduled bout against Cole Miller on June 4 in Los Angeles UFC will announce a replacement opponent for Miller shortly, and additional information will be provided by USADA and UFC at the appropriate time as the process involving Penn moves forward.”
Yet another fight was eliminated from what has become a snake-bit UFC show on FOX tomorrow.
The Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober fight is off because shortly after weigh-ins, UFC was informed by USADA that Makhachev had a potential anti-doping violation involving Meldonium, which is listed as of this year as a banned performance enhancing agent.
Meldonium was developed clinically for heart ailments like angina, but like insulin, was discovered to have performance enhancing properties. Like Insulin, it has been listed since the start of the year as a banned Metabolic Modulator. It is the same drug the tennis star Maria Sharapova was recently suspended for.
This marks the second fight on the show in the last three days to be canceled due to the anti-doping policy, the other being the Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson fight, as Machida was suspended for admitting usage of a substance that he didn’t realize was on the banned list which contained DHEA.
Last week the scheduled main event with Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson full through due to a training injury suffered by Ferguson.
The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting and confirmed by a UFC release tonight.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including Raw ratings from Monday, the slow and steady collapse, the WWE Title tournament and Survivor Series, Seth Rollins update, latest tournament brackets, Smackdown spoilers, UFC Saturday with Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm, Mirko Crocop retires and then gets popped by USADA, questions and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
