Steven Marrocco

MMA Junkie

The UFC's anti-doping partner is not joking around. Back-to-back violations have resulted in the maximum punishment under its anti-doping program.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Monday announced UFC heavyweight Ruslan Magomedov (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is banned for life after failing a test this past fall and refusing to take another in February.

Under the UFC's program, a third violation brings a suspension that at minimum doubles the time served for a second violation — and at maximum nets a permanent ban.

UFC officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Magomedov, 32, came up positive for five separate banned substance following an out-of-competition urine test conducted Oct. 10, 2018. Two were methyltestosterone metabolites and three were stanozolol metabolites. Both parent compounds are well-known steroids and considered non-Specified Substances that are banned year-round in the USADA-led program.

According to USADA, the third violation was triggered when Magomedov refused to "complete the sample collection process as requested" by a doping officer during another out-of-competition test conducted Feb. 5. At that time, he was already provisionally suspended for the Oct. 10 test results pending the resolution of his case.

Magomedov first ran afoul of USADA in 2016, when he and UFC featherweight Zubaira Tukhugov failed out-of-competition tests in September for the selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) ostarine. They went to arbitration with the anti-doping agency, claiming their positive tests were the result of a contaminated supplement. They hoped to receive a reduced sentence, but USADA refused to offer leniency after two days of testimony. Rather than continue their appeal, they settled for the standard two-year punishment for first-time offenders.

Magomedov was scheduled to return to the octagon at UFC 230 in a bout opposite Marcos Rogerio de Lima. He reportedly pulled from the event due to visa issues, but his positive test on Oct. 10 appears to contradict that information.

FLASHBACK UFC 192:Top photos from Magomedov defeat of Jordan in 2015

As a UFC heavyweight, Magomedov won three straight fights via decision and was considered a rising prospect. He has not yet commented on his lifetime ban.

Here is USADA's full statement:

USADA announced today that Ruslan Magomedov, of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, has received a lifetime sanction after his second and third violations of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy. Magomedov, 32, received a second violation after he tested positive for methyltestosterone metabolite 17α-methyl-5β-androstan-3α, 17β-diol, as well as stanozolol metabolites 3'-hydroxystanozolol-O-glucuronide, 16β-hydroxystanozolol-O-glucuronide, and stanozolol-N-glucuronide, as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample he provided on October 10, 2018. Methyltestosterone and stanozolol are non-Specified Substances 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 (WADA) Prohibited List. The athlete's third violation resulted from his refusal to complete the sample collection process as requested by a doping control officer during an out-of-competition test on February 5, 2019. Refusing or failing to submit to sample collection, without compelling justification, is a doping violation under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. Magomedov's lifetime period of ineligibility began on November 5, 2018, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. 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. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website ( https://UFC.USADA.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs. In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online ( https://UFC.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, and periodic athlete alerts. Many of the resources available to athletes are provided in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese. Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean@usada.org, by phone at 1 877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253), or by mail.

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