Chechen light heavyweight prospect responds to the flagged drug test result that was announced recently by USADA.
As per Damon Martin at FoxSports.com, Russian fighter Abdul-Kerim Edilov and his management are claiming that the recent flagged drug test results were due to heart medication.
From the source:
“Abdel-Aziz says he’s been in constant contact with Jeff Novitzky, who oversees the UFC’s drug testing program, as well as speaking to representatives from USADA to hopefully clear up the matter from the flagged test.”
The manager also had this to say:
“Jeff Novitzky has been nothing but great and also talked to USADA and everybody understands what happened,” Abdel-Aziz said when speaking to FOX Sports.”
Edilov will have the opportunity to appeal under the USADA guidelines while still recovering from his injury, and claims he did not file for a therapeutic use exemption for his medication due to a language barrier. His manager alleges that he has been taking this medication since this past November to treat atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis. The 24-year-old also allegedly exhibits signs of left ventricular hypertrophy, and the medication taken has not been revealed.
The UFC has yet to respond on the matter as of yet.
Edilov had been signed to the UFC in August of 2015, and was slated to fight Brazilian light heavyweight Francimar Barroso at UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs Cruz before pulling out due to a knee injury. He was eventually replaced by regional veteran Elvis Mutapcic.