Ion Cutelaba pulled from UFC 217 one day before event due to potential anti-doping violation

NEW YORK — UFC 217 didn’t lose a fight at official weigh-ins, but a bout has now been nixed just minutes before the ceremonial weigh-ins at Madison Square Garden.

Ion Cutelaba has been yanked from his heavyweight fight against Michal Oleksiejczuk due to a potential anti-doping policy violation, the UFC announced Friday afternoon.

According to a release, USADA has launched an investigation into Cutelaba because of voluntary disclosures he made during out-of-competition sample collections Oct. 18 and 19. Cutelaba has been provisionally suspended and the bout is now off.

Cutelaba (13-1, 1 NC) successfully made weight Friday morning. He was trying to win a second straight fight. The Moldova native is coming off a 22-second knockout of Henrique da Silva in June. Cutelaba, 23, sports a 2-2 record in the UFC.