Another UFC fighter has learned the dangers of relying on health supplements, as Mairbek Taisumov is hit with a six month suspension by USADA.
A tainted supplement has once again resulted in a UFC fighter committing an anti-doping policy violation. On Thursday, USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency), who oversee the UFC’s Anti-Doping Policy, announced that lightweight Mairbek Taisumov had accepted a six-month suspension after testing positive for metabolites of stanozolol. Stanozolol is an anabolic agent prohibited from use at all times for UFC fighters.
The findings stem from an in-competition drug test on September 15, 2018 at UFC Moscow. Taisumov (28-5) defeated Desmond Green at the event via unanimous decision.
Per a press release Thursday, Taisumov provided USADA with samples of all supplements he was taking at the time. In conjunction with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), they then obtained unopened samples, and were able to identify a contaminated supplement. “Although no prohibited substances were listed on the supplement labels, product analysis conducted on both the open and independently sourced, unopened packages of the products by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, indicated that they all contained stanozolol,” USADA stated.
The supplement in question, which was not specified, has been added to USADA’s list of high-risk supplements. In the meantime, Taisumov gets six months post-dated to October 8, 2018 when his provisional suspension began. Meaning he is eligible to return to action already. Had he knowingly taken the substance, the lightweight would have been looking at a suspension of up to two years.
One interesting question now is what happens to Taisumov’s win over Desmond Green. Per USADA, “under the rules, any decision concerning competition results is handled by the UFC.”
