Jeff Novitsky, UFC senior vice president of anti-doping compliance, claims that Islam Makhachev’s failed drug test was a failure by the system.
Wednesday’s UFC 302 media day saw lightweight champion Islam Makhachev presented a 50-time perfect test jacket. The jacket is presented to athletes who successfully pass 50 consecutive drug tests.
Prior to presenting Makhachev with his jacket, Novitsky explained to media members that his failed test eight years prior was an error that should not be held against the champion.
“Islam did have an issue back in 2016. I actually talked with him and his team last week and I said ‘I think we need to bring this up.’ And they agreed”. (MMA Junkie)
The issue Novitsky refers to was a test that the Dagestani failed back in 2016, prior to a scheduled fight with lightweight staple Drew Dober. Makhachev was pulled from his fight on weigh-in day, before being suspended by USADA for three months.
Novitsky Clears up Makhachev Debacle
“In 2016, USADA, who ran our program, put it (Meldonium) on our prohibited list. Before that, you were allowed to use it. He had a medical procedure back in 2014. He submitted documents that he used it under that. Ultimately, he was cleared by USADA. But in my opinion, one of the greatest, colossal mistakes in anti-doping. It affected not only Islam but several other UFC athletes and hundreds of other amateur Olympic athletes.”
At the time, USADA made the point of declaring that Makhachev was “without fault or negligence” after testing positive for the substance. It still however, acts as a blemish on his otherwise clean record.
“That’s something that just cannot happen,” Novitsky continued. “That’s something you can carry forward with you and your reputation forever. I’m here today today to say that Islam absolutely did nothing wrong. This mistake was on the anti-doping authority, not him. It’s very important to note that.”
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
