Volkan Oezdemir suspended 16 months after EPO violation

UFC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir disclosed Friday he has been suspended for 16 months after testing positive for EPO, a banned endurance drug, following his November bout in Qatar.

The 36-year-old revealed the violation in a lengthy Instagram post, describing how a healthcare professional approached him on social media and presented him with the substance while he was recovering from ankle surgery. "He showed me a substance that he described as safe and undetectable," Oezdemir wrote, per MMA Fighting. "He had prepared a vial of EPO. He told me not to tell anyone about it. I complied. I gave myself the first injection that same evening. That was my decision. And it was the biggest mistake of my life."

How the violation unfolded and what comes next

Oezdemir said the individual contacted him on Instagram after his Qatar appearance, offering business prospects and investment opportunities before shifting to his recovery timeline. Three days after the injection, Combat Sports Anti-Doping officials showed up at his home for a random test. He received notice of the positive result on March 5.

The Swiss fighter cooperated fully with both the UFC and CSAD, which resulted in a reduced sentence from what could have been a longer ban. He accepted full responsibility and apologized to his supporters, family, and the sport. EPO increases red blood cell production and oxygen delivery to muscles, making it a common target in endurance doping cases.

Oezdemir, who challenged Daniel Cormier for the title in 2018, has won three of his last four fights. His only recent loss came against current champion Carlos Ulberg. The suspension keeps him out until at least mid-2027, though the UFC has not officially announced the ban or its start date.

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• MMA Fighting — Volkan Oezdemir reveals he’s been suspended 16 months after making ‘the biggest mistake of my life’