16-fight UFC veteran Volkan Oezdemir has shared details of a positive drug test.
In 2017, Oezdemir was named the UFC newcomer of the year for putting together a three-fight win streak that earned him a light heavyweight title shot.
Michael Bisping pitched for Oezdemir to get another shot at the belt just last year after he stopped Alonzo Menifield in his most recent outing.
Following this knockout win, the 36-year-old has now announced that he won’t be stepping back inside the Octagon anytime soon.
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Volkan Oezdemir details how he was given EPO by a medical professional before testing positive
In a long statement on social media, Volkan Oezdemir announced that he tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) in February.
The substance is banned in sports due to it artificially increasing the production of red blood cells, which impacts an athlete’s endurance.
He wrote on Instagram that he was informed in March that he’d failed a Combat Sports Anti-Doping test and received a 16-month suspension after fully cooperating with the UFC and CSAD.
“I acknowledge what I did, and I take full responsibility for it,” Oezdemir said. “Every athlete is responsible for what they put into their body. I am sharing how this happened because I need to understand my own actions and because what happened to me could happen to other athletes.”
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Oezdemir explained that following his fight last November, he was contacted via social media by a healthcare professional who wanted to help him from a business standpoint.
The person who reached out to him then pivoted towards helping his recovery when they met, giving him a vial of EPO that he said would be undetectable.
Oezdemir described listening to the person’s advice and not telling anyone about this after injecting himself as “the biggest mistake” of his life.
“I let down my sport, my fans, and ultimately, myself. To everyone who has supported me – my family, my loved ones, and my supporters – I am deeply sorry.”
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