According to a recent statement by UFC officials, Russian welterweight Muslim Salikhov has been flagged for a potential United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation stemming from an out-of-competition test collected on June 7 in Russia.
Salikhov, 34, will have his opportunity to prove his innocence, but for now the Russian is on the hook for testing positive for a banned substance(s).
From the official UFC statement:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed athlete Muslim Salikhov of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on June 7, 2018 in Russia.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Muslim Salikhov. 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.
Salikhov, who made a name for himself on the Chinese mixed martial arts (MMA) circuit, is coming off a scintillating knockout victory over former Bellator MMA fighter Ricky Rainey back at UFC on FOX 29. The “King of Kung Fu” may have been choked out by Alex Garcia in his Octagon debut last year, but his recent victory proved that Salikhov was a name to watch out for heading into 2019.
This recent USADA violation, however, will put those expectations on ice for the time being.
Stick with Mania for ongoing updates on the situation.