Junior Dos Santos is no longer scheduled to compete at UFC 215 in Edmonton on Sept. 9 and the former heavyweight champion could possibly be facing a lengthy suspension.
The UFC released the following statement Friday afternoon:
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Junior Dos Santos of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on Aug. 10, 2017. Because of the proximity to Dos Santos’ upcoming scheduled bout at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Canada against Francis Ngannou, Dos Santos has been removed from the card and the UFC is currently seeking a replacement.
“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Dos Santos. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”
Dos Santos has alternated wins and losses since 2012 and suffered a TKO defeat to current champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 211 in May.
It’s unclear at this point who Ngannou will face, but suffice it to say he was disappointed when he heard the news.
Ngannou has gone 5-0 since debuting in the UFC less than two years ago with all five of his wins coming by stoppage. His latest victim was Andrei Arlovski, as Ngannou earned a TKO in just 92 seconds back in January. The 30-year-old Batié, Cameroon native is closing in on a title shot.
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