Abdul-Kerim Edilov accepts anti-doping sanction

Chechen UFC light heavyweight Abdul-Kerim Edilov, 24, is on a ten-fight win streak, all within the first round. At least four of the wins were within the first minute. He tore through ACB, Fight Nights, M-1 Global, and World Fighting Championship Akhmat.

Edilov was scheduled to fight Francimar Barroso, at UFC Fight Night 81 on Jan. 17 in Boston. However, the UFC posted in February that Edilov faced a potential anti-doping violation following an out-of-competition drug test.

Today the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that Edilov has accepted a 15-month suspension, retroactive to January 7, for his positive test for meldonium. Meldonium was added to the prohibited list only on Jan 1; questions have arisen about its efficacy, and around how long it stays in the system. Never the less, Edilov faces a substantial suspension.

Meldonium is a non-specified substance that was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List in 2016. It is in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is now prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the WADA Prohibited List.

After a thorough review of the laboratory results and the evidence presented, USADA accepted Edilov’s explanation that the meldonium was a prescribed medication he was taking in a therapeutic dose under the care of a physician and without the intent to enhance his athletic performance. Nonetheless, because Edilov’s use of meldonium continued after the substance was officially prohibited on January 1, 2016, he required a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) in order to avoid violating the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

Edilov will now be eligible to make his UFC debut on April 7, 2017.