USADA suspends Jesse Taylor one year for positive drug test for clomiphene

From comeback story to drug suspension in three months.

USADA suspended Jesse Taylor one year for testing positive for anti-estrogen agent clomiphene in an out-of-competition drug test, the UFC’s anti-doping partner announced Friday. The failed drug test stemmed from a sample collected Aug. 22. Taylor was subsequently pulled from a UFC Sydney fight with Belal Muhammad in November.

In the release, USADA stated that Taylor had accepted the suspension, which was the maximum for the prohibited substance. Clomiphene is not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use by males and “promotes the secretion of testosterone,” per USADA.

“Increasing testosterone, especially when combined with strength training, has been demonstrated to increase fat-free mass, muscle size, and strength in males, potentially leading to performance enhancement in sport,” the USADA release stated.

Taylor, 34, is eligible to return to the Octagon on Sept. 13, 2018, provided he remains in the USADA drug-testing pool.

Taylor (31-15) won The Ultimate Fighter 25: Redemption by beating Dhiego Lima by second-round submission in July. It was an incredible comeback story for Taylor, who was pulled from the TUF 7 finals in 2008 after a drunken night in Las Vegas and lost his only UFC fight thereafter.

The well-traveled Taylor, a San Diego resident, went on to fight for promotions like Strikeforce, Dream Cage Warriors, KSW, World Series of Fighting and many more before getting another shot on TUF earlier this year.