UFC heavyweight Mohammed Usman faces career setback with 30-month ban for positive drug tests

Mohammed Usman has paid a heavy price for violating the UFC’s anti-doping rules.

On Thursday, Combat Sports Anti-Doping Announced that Usman was given a period of two years and six months (30 months) during which he was ineligible to compete after testing positive for the intentional use of testosterone.

‘The Motor’ tested positive for testosterone during an out-of-competition sample taken in September, which led to his removal from a scheduled fight against Valter Walker at UFC Rio in October. The younger brother of former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman subsequently admitted to CSAD earlier in 2025 that he had used both testosterone and BPC-157, a peptide that was banned at all times.

According to CSAD, the 36-year-old UFC heavyweight ultimately accepted responsibility, but his confession came only after a significant delay, after the testing agency confronted him with independently collected evidence from a thorough investigation. The agency determined that Usman had used multiple banned substances and attempted to mislead investigators with a false statement.

Taking these aggravating circumstances into account, CSAD imposed an additional six months on top of the standard two-year suspension, extending his period of ineligibility to 30 months.

Mohammed Usman’s suspension was applied retroactively to October 9, 2025 and will expire on April 9, 2028, at which time he will be 39 years old.

What is Mohammed Usman’s record in the UFC?

Mohammed Usman earned his spot in the UFC by winning the heavyweight tournament The ultimate fighter Season 30 in 2022. “The Motor” made an immediate impact in his Octagon debut, scoring a knockout win over Zac Pauga at UFC Vegas 59 in August 2022.

Usman followed that start by putting together a three-fight winning streak before suffering a setback in 2024, when he dropped back-to-back decision losses to Mick Parkin and Thomas Petersen.