Dmitrii Smoliakov turned out to be using performance-enhancing drugs in his quick defeat at the hands of Greg Hardy.
The pair of heavyweights fought earlier this year at UFC Sunrise with Smoliakov notably putting in a timid performance against the hard-hitting Hardy. In the end, the “Prince of War” came out on top, knocking the Russian out in just over two minutes.
But Smoliakov’s performance was so bad that UFC president Dana White even questioned his credentials as a fighter following the event. To make matters worse, it turns out he was on the juice as well.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Tuesday that Smoliakov had accepted a two-year sanction after testing positive for recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) and intact human chorionic gonadtrophin (hCG). rHuEPO notably “stimulates the body’s production of red blood cells, thereby increasing oxygen transport and aerobic power.”
The first test was out-of-competition on April 22 while the second was in-competition and administered on April 27. Smoliakov’s suspension is retroactive to the first date, which means he will be able to reapply for his license on April 22, 2021.
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