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TJ Dillashaw Voluntarily Gives Up UFC Bantamweight Belt After Issue With USADA
In a post on Instagram, UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw announced that he is voluntarily giving up the title so that he can deal with an issue with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). This follows an “adverse finding” in a test taken for his fight to Henry Cejudo at UFC on ESPN+ 1, which was a loss, on January 19 in Brooklyn.
He wrote: “To all my fans, I wanted to be the first one to let you know that USADA and the NYSAC have informed me of an adverse finding in a test taken for my last fight. While words can’t even begin to express how disappointed I am at this time, please know that I’m working with my team to understand what has occurred and how to resolve this situation as quickly as possible. Out of fairness and respect to the rest of my division, I’ve informed the UFC that I’ll be voluntarily relinquishing my title while I deal with this matter. I want to thank all of you in advance for the support.”
NYSAC officials added in a statement (via MMA Weekly) that they have issued a one-year suspension, which begins retroactively to the fight, but did not reveal the banned substance that was found. That means Dillashaw will be eligible to return on January 19, 2020. USADA is reportedly working on their own statement on the matter. It’s possible they could suspend Dillashaw for a longer or shorter period of time than the NYSAC.
The NYSAC said: “The New York State Athletic Commission issued a one-year suspension and a $10 thousand fine to Mr. Dillashaw for violations relating to use of a prohibited substance. We have no further comment.”
