Jesse Taylor flagged for USADA violation, bout vs. Belal Muhammad removed from UFC Sydney

Jesse Taylor’s UFC return has hit a snag.

On Wednesday, the USADA announced that the Ultimate Fighter 25 winner Jesse Taylor has been flagged for an Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample taken on Aug. 22, two months after a submission win over Dhiego Lima at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale earned him a new contract with the UFC.

Taylor’s upcoming bout with Belal Muhammad at UFC Sydney on Nov. 18 has been removed from that card and the promotion is currently looking for a replacement to fight Muhammad.

The 34-year-old Taylor emerged as one of the more intriguing stories on the 25th season of The Ultimate Fighter, having been close to winning a previous season of the show back in 2008 before behavioral issues forced officials to disqualify him from participating in the TUF 7 tournament final. He would fight once in the UFC before going on a nine-year journey that culminated in him getting a second chance with the long-running reality program and finally winning that elusive TUF title on July 7.