Ruslan Magomedov and Zubaira Tukhgov have accepted two-year sanctions for violating the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. They will be eligible to fight in the UFC in September 2018.
Both fighters accepted two-year suspension as a result of out-of-competition positive tests on September 7, 2016 revealing ostarine in their systems.
Tukhugov also tested positive for ostarine in an out-of-competition test on October 29, 2016. USADA indicated that since the second positive test resulted from a sample that was collected before he was notified of his first positive test, they were treated as a single violation.
Via USADA:
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.
Both Russian fighters train out of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose.
Payout Perspective:
The settlement at time of arbitration likely means that the fighters’ case was not going well and the threat that an unfavorable ruling could have meant more of a penalty for both. A two-year suspension means that they will be able to fight starting this September. The arbitration hearing was the fourth of its kind under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. The athlete has never won an arbitration hearing since the policy was put in place.
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