Azamat Murzakanov was expecting to make his UFC debut in 2017 against Joachim Christensen at UFC Fight Night Oklahoma City, but was pulled from the bout due to a potential USADA violation.
USADA has announced today that Murzakanov has accepted a two year suspension for a drug testing violation.
The following press release was issued by the matter on USADA:
April 8, 2019
USADA announced today that Azamat Murzakanov, of Nalchik, Russia, has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Murzakanov, 29, tested positive for the boldenone metabolites 5β-androst-1-en-17β-ol-3-one and androsta-1,4-diene-6β-ol-3,17-dione as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample he provided on September 2, 2017. Further confirmation of the positive test was achieved using the sensitive isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) method, which reported a laboratory result consistent with the exogenous origin of boldenone metabolites. Boldenone 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.
The delay in resolving Murzakanov’s case was due to requests for additional time by Murzakanov to investigate the source of his positive test. Murzakanov has been provisionally suspended and, therefore unable to compete, since the date he was notified on September 25, 2017. Murzakanov’s two-year period of ineligibility began on September 2, 2017, the date his sample was collected.
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.
Since the suspension is retroactive to the date the potential USADA violation was discovered, it would mean that Murzakanov is eligible to compete again on September 2 of this year.
