Former PFL middleweight Joilton Lutterbach was using performance-enhancing drugs before getting the call to compete against Shara Magomedov as part of the UFC Saudi Arabia fight card last June in Riyadh. The 31 year-old “Peregrino” failed to alert the promotion of his prior steroid use, then flunked his pre-fight drug test administered by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD).
The result was a two-year suspension and pink slip from UFC.
Lutterbach (38-9, 1 NC) tested positive for 3a-Hydroxy-2a-methyl-5a-androstan-17-one, a metabolite of drostanolone (an anabolic steroid), forcing the promotion to pivot and book Magomedov against Brazilian bruiser Antonio Trocoli. “Shara Bullet” went on to win the contest by way of third-round technical knockout, then made a quick turnaround for the UFC on ABC card earlier this month in Abu Dhabi.
Magomedov defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk by unanimous decision.
“Thank you for all the messages of affection during this difficult time, I actually used juice three months ago and had no idea that I would sign with UFC,” Lutterbach wrote on social media. “I could have hidden in the mountains or gone to Thailand to hide as many do and are not tested, but I preferred to take the risk and believe I was clean and fit to fight.”
Lutterbach will be eligible to return on June 23, 2026.