An unfortunate injury postponed Abdul-Kerim Edilov’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut at UFC Fight Night 81: “Dillashaw vs. Cruz” just last month.
And now, it seems the Russian’s first fight inside the Octagon will be delayed even further. That’s because Edilov may have potentially committed a violation of the promotion’s anti-doping policy.
According to the official statement, Abdul may have failed an out-of competition drug test administered by USADA prior to his scheduled bout against Francimar Barroso.
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Abdul-Kerim Edilov of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection. USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, 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.
This could be a tough blow for Edilov, who could be facing a long sit if found guilty.
And since he doesn’t have a proven track record with the ZUFFA-owned promotion yet — other than his 10-fight win streak in other promotions — his spot on the roster could be in jeopardy.
UFC and USADA’s new testing methods have also nabbed Mirko Filipovic, Yoel Romero, and Gleison Tibau over the past year.