USADA announced on Thursday that UFC athletes Ruslan Magomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov, of Moscow, Russia, have both tested positive for a prohibited substance and each accepted a two-year sanction for their anti-doping policy violations.
Magomedov, 31, and Tukhugov, 27, both tested positive for ostarine following out-of-competition urine tests conducted on September 7, 2016. Tukhugov also tested positive for ostarine following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on October 29, 2016. Because Tukhugov’s second positive test resulted from a sample that was collected before he was notified of his first positive test, both of his positive tests were treated as a single violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
Ostarine, also known as MK-2866 and Enobosarm, is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. Ostarine is also a non-FDA approved selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that is illegally sold worldwide as a performance-enhancing substance. Ostarine is not currently available as a prescription medication in any country, and its unauthorized use may carry serious side effects. More information about the risks of ostarine can be found through a USADA athlete advisory.
Following notification of their positive tests, both Magomedov and Tukhugov claimed they had tested positive due to their use of a contaminated supplement, which USADA was unable to confirm at that time to justify a reduction from the maximum two-year period of ineligibility for a non-Specified Substance.
Magomedov and Tukhugov subsequently exercised their right to have their cases submitted to a neutral arbitrator for resolution.
Magomedov’s and Tukhugov’s cases were consolidated, allowing for a single presentation of the athletes’ defenses to the independent arbitrator. During a multi-day hearing, the athletes presented testimony and submitted evidence in an attempt to support their supplement contamination claims and request for a reduced period of ineligibility. Nevertheless, after two days of testimony, USADA informed Magomedov and Tukhugov that it was still unwilling to consider a reduced sanction because it did not believe supplement contamination was a valid explanation for their positive tests. Thereafter, and before the conclusion of the hearing, USADA and the athletes reached an agreement to resolve the case, with Magomedov and Tukhugov each accepting a two-year period of ineligibility and agreeing to contribute a total of $10,000 toward the costs of the arbitration proceedings.
Magomedov’s and Tukhugov’s two-year periods of ineligibility began on September 26, 2016, the date the first of the athletes’ provisional suspensions was imposed.
Pursuant to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, all UFC athletes serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping policy violation are required to remain in the USADA registered testing pool and make themselves available for testing in order to receive credit for time completed under his or her sanction.
Magomedov last fought at UFC 192 in October of 2015, when he defeated Shawn Jordan. The 14-2 heavyweight currently has a record of 3-0 in the Octagon.
Tukhugov (18-4) is coming off of a loss in his last fight. Renato Moicano took a slit-decision nod from the judges in their UFC 198 featherweight fight. Tukhugov is currently 3-1 in the Octagon.
