Bellator’s lightweight champion Usman Nurmogomedov failed a drug test according to the California State Athletic Commission. He has been suspended 6 months and fined $50K for testing positive for a banned substance.
The failed test comes after his win at Bellator 300 where he defeated Brent Primus. That result has been overturned to a no-contest. As a result, Nurmogomedov has been pulled from the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix but he will not be stripped of his lightweight title.
According to Nurmogomedov’s manager, the banned substance relates to a prescription medication he had been taking but was unaware that the medication contained a prohibited substance in California, which uses the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code for its list of banned drugs per ESPN.
Nurmogomedov was undefeated prior to the drug test.
Payout Perspective:
It all sounds like a mistake by Nurmogomedov but one would think that they should have known of the prohibited substance. Then again, if the medication was tainted, it would have been an issue. With all the rumors of Bellator being sold to the PFL, this may not mean anything to Nurmogomedov in 6 months. Moreover, it was likely that the still lightweight champ would not have fought until the spring of 2024 which seems like when the suspension ends.
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