Jesse Taylor pulled from UFC Sydney fight after potential anti-doping violation

TUF: Redemption winner Jesse Taylor has been notified of a potential anti-doping violation by USADA.

Lost in all of the drug testing news concerning Jon Jones is yet another UFC fighter getting flagged for a potential anti-doping violation. Jesse Taylor, who perhaps fittingly won The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption in July, was scheduled to fight Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night: Sydney in November, but that will no longer be happening.

Here’s the UFC’s official press release from Wednesday:

The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jesse Taylor of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on August 22, 2017. Because of the proximity to Taylor’s upcoming scheduled bout in Sydney, Australia on November 18, 2017, against Belal Muhammad, Taylor 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 Taylor. 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.

Taylor (31-15) memorably lost his spot in the final of The Ultimate Fighter season 7, after footage of his drunkenly destructive behavior at a Las Vegas hotel was shown to Dana White. After losing to C.B. Dollaway on the TUF 7 Finale card, the UFC cut him loose, and he spent the ensuing years fighting for various promotions, going 24-12 from October 2008 to October 2016. Taylor was brought back for The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption, racked up the victories, then submitted Dhiego Lima in a dramatic final to win the $290,000 tournament grand prize.

There’s no word on what banned substance Taylor tested positive for, but we’ll presumably find out in due time. Definitely not the ideal start to Taylor’s post-Redemption UFC career.

TUF: Redemption winner Jesse Taylor has been notified of a potential anti-doping violation by USADA.

Lost in all of the drug testing news concerning Jon Jones is yet another UFC fighter getting flagged for a potential anti-doping violation. Jesse Taylor, who perhaps fittingly won The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption in July, was scheduled to fight Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night: Sydney in November, but that will no longer be happening.

Here’s the UFC’s official press release from Wednesday:

The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jesse Taylor of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on August 22, 2017. Because of the proximity to Taylor’s upcoming scheduled bout in Sydney, Australia on November 18, 2017, against Belal Muhammad, Taylor 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 Taylor. 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.

Taylor (31-15) memorably lost his spot in the final of The Ultimate Fighter season 7, after footage of his drunkenly destructive behavior at a Las Vegas hotel was shown to Dana White. After losing to C.B. Dollaway on the TUF 7 Finale card, the UFC cut him loose, and he spent the ensuing years fighting for various promotions, going 24-12 from October 2008 to October 2016. Taylor was brought back for The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption, racked up the victories, then submitted Dhiego Lima in a dramatic final to win the $290,000 tournament grand prize.

There’s no word on what banned substance Taylor tested positive for, but we’ll presumably find out in due time. Definitely not the ideal start to Taylor’s post-Redemption UFC career.