Ali Bagautinov Suspended After Testing Positive for EPO in Random Drug Test Prior to UFC 174
Ali Bagautinov tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance, prior to his June 14 bout with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 174 in Vancouver.
The British Columbia Athletic Commission on Thursday announced the finding, which stemmed from a June 2 random test, while also confirming that of the eight fighters tested for performance enhancing substances and drugs of abuse on fight night, none returned positive results. The fighters tested at the event included Bagautinov, Johnson, and six other randomly selected fighters.
Due to lab processing times, the results of Bagautinov’s failed test went unknown until after the event.
“Results received by this office from the June 2 tests on Mr. Bagautinov were positive for erythropoietin, or EPO – a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency,” read a statement from BCAC Commissioner Dave Maedel.
“These results were not available prior to the UFC 174 event due to lab processing times. Mr. Bagautinov lost his bid for the flyweight title to Demetrious Johnson. I have suspended Mr. Bagautinov’s licence to compete in British Columbia for a period of one year.”
The EPO didn't seem to help much, as Bagautinov failed to capture the belt at UFC 174. Johnson dominated for five full rounds, winning a unanimous decision from the judges.
