The UFC has officially parted ways with heavyweight Mohammed Usman after the fighter was suspended for 30 months for a failed drug test, in accordance with reports from MMA Fighting on Friday.
Usman, the younger brother of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, has been faraway from the promotion’s energetic roster, marking an unceremonious end to his UFC tenure. The heavyweight’s suspension, which began in 2023, effectively sidelined him during what must have been the prime years of his fighting profession.
The 35-year-old fighter compiled a 2-2 record contained in the Octagon before his ban. He made his promotional debut in October 2021 with a first-round TKO victory over Zac Pauga, winning The Ultimate Fighter season 30, earning a UFC contract. His early momentum continued with a back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Junior Tafa and Jake Collier to kickstart his UFC profession.
Nonetheless, Usman’s UFC run quickly derailed. He dropped consecutive losses to Mick Parkin and Thomas Petersen before getting back into the win column against Hamdy Abdelwahab, because the failed drug test brought his profession to a grinding halt. The 30-month suspension represented one among the lengthier bans handed down by USADA during its partnership with the UFC, suggesting a big violation of the promotion’s anti-doping policy.
Unlike his decorated older brother, who dominated the welterweight division for years and defended his title five times, Mohammed struggled to search out consistent success at the best level of mixed martial arts. The heavyweight division’s unforgiving nature, combined together with his suspension, left little room for the UFC to justify keeping him on the roster.
The timing of Usman’s release comes because the UFC has transitioned from USADA to a brand new anti-doping partner in 2024. While he technically accomplished his suspension, the promotion opted not to provide him one other opportunity to compete under the UFC banner.
This development serves as one other reminder of the strict penalties fighters face for anti-doping violations in mixed martial arts. Suspensions have derailed quite a few careers over time, with lengthy bans often proving career-altering or career-ending, particularly for fighters outside the game’s elite tier.
Usman now joins a growing list of fighters whose UFC careers ended not within the Octagon, but resulting from issues outside of competition. Whether he attempts a comeback on the regional scene or transitions away from fighting entirely stays to be seen.