UFC heavyweight Ruslan Magomedov receives lifetime ban from USADA

Ruslan Magomedov is the first UFC fighter to receive a lifetime ban from USADA.

The heavyweight veteran was handed down a lifetime sanction on Monday after sustaining his second and third violations of the UFC anti-doping policy, USADA announced.

Magomedov’s second violation was the result of an Oct. 10, 2018 out-of-competition urine sample he provided which tested positive for the banned substances Methyltestosterone metabolite 17α-methyl-5β-androstan-3α, 17β-diol, stanozolol metabolites 3’-hydroxystanozolol-O-glucuronide, 16β-hydroxystanozolol-O-glucuronide, and stanozolol-N-glucuronide, all of which are classified as anabolic agents.

Magomedov’s third violation came on Feb. 5, 2019 as the result of “his refusal to complete the sample collection process as requested by a doping control officer during an out-of-competition test,” per USADA.

“Refusing or failing to submit to sample collection, without compelling justification, is a doping violation under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy,” USADA wrote in a statement.

Magomedov, 32, last fought in the UFC in 2015, picking up a decision win over Shawn Jordan. He racked up 3-0 record in the promotion, also notching decision victories over Viktor Pesta and Josh Copeland.

The Russian heavyweight previously accepted a two-year suspension for his first USADA violation as the result of an out-of-competition drug sample collected on Sept. 7, 2016, which tested positive for ostarine.

Magomedov holds a 14-1 professional MMA record. Prior to his time in the UFC, he competed extensively on the Russian regional scene, picking up wins over former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia and Ricco Rodriguez.