Taylor: ‘I have never done nor did fail for steroids’

The Ultimate Fighter 25: Redemption truly lived up to its name. Jesse Taylor won $290,000 and a UFC contract, after being removed from TUF 7 nearly a decade ago for conduct unbecoming of a fighter, which is saying a lot. Now Taylor has had an anti-doping test flagged for a potential violation. Because of the length of time it takes to investigate a flagged test, Taylor was removed from his fight with Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night 121 in Sydney, Australia, on November 18.

However, removal from the bout and a flagged test does not automatically mean Taylor was using steroids. Indeed, in a message posted on his social network Taylor explained that the test wasn’t even for steroids.

‪”I humbly ask everyone to let due process do it’s work,” he wrote. “I have never done nor did fail for steroids! The truth will come to Light. I’ll be Back‬.”

“I am just as shocked and surprised by this tragedy. Our team is looking into this matter. Let due process do its work before judging on the matter. Those that know me know this is wrong. We will fight this and I will be back. I am sorry to Aussie friends and fans but that fight is off due to this matter. I am very bummed but we will get to bottom of this. I’ll Be Back.”

Emphatically, a flagged test does not mean that Taylor has taken PEDs, or done anything wrong. For example, three fighters last year – Li Jingliang, Augusto Montano, and Ning Guangyou – had tests flagged for Clenbuterol but were ultimately determined to have No Fault, as the substance is present in minute quantities in the meat supply in their home countries. Also last year Islam Makhachev had a test flagged for Meldonium but was found No Fault. So for now, don’t assume or believe that Taylor has cheated. Instead, understand that the process of catching dopers necessarily casts a wide net, and that a fair and legal process is underway to determine what happened.