UFC newcomer Roman Dolidze suspended by USADA before he could make his debut

UFC newcomer Roman Dolidze will have to wait until 2020 before he can make his Octagon debut after he was suspended one year after testing positive for a banned substance.

USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) officials announced the news on Friday while revealing that Dolidze will face a one-year suspension retroactive to March 12, which is when his test was taken and later flagged for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy.

“Dolidze, 31, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolites M1 and M2, as well as a long-term metabolite of dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), 4-chloro-18-nor-17β-hydroxymethyl,17α-methyl-5α-androst-13-en-3α-ol (M3), as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on March 12, 2019,” USADA officials wrote in a statement.

“Clomiphene is a Specified Substance in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators, while DHCMT is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents. Both substances are prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.”

According to USADA officials, Dolidze admitted his wrongdoing as soon as his test was flagged.

“Dolidze immediately came forward with detailed evidence of his use of prohibited substances before entering the UFC Anti-Doping Program and continued to cooperate throughout USADA’s investigation related to his use,” USADA officials stated. “Based on the specific details of the case, Dolidze received a reduction from otherwise applicable period of ineligibility.”

Dolidze was signed to the UFC earlier this year while amassing a 6-0 record on the regional fight scene, primarily competing out of the Ukraine.

He was twice scheduled to fight in April and then again in June but both bouts were scrapped. It’s unclear if the flagged test from USADA ultimately prevented him from fighting in those matchups.

Dolidze will be eligible to return to the UFC after March 12, 2020.