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At UFC Vegas 29, Bruno Silva returned from a lengthy two-year suspension to notch up a highlight-reel KO over Wellington Turman on his promotional debut.
Silva's road to the UFC wasn't easy, and his case was the latest to prove that it's possible to recover from the ignominy of a ban. With several stars like Jon Jones and Brian Ortega having overcome positive tests and other controversies, it won't be long before we see another fighter return after a suspension and shine.
In fact, we may be treated to several such performances in 2021. Here are four UFC fighters who have been booked to fight later this year for the first time since being suspended.
#4 Michel Prazeres - returns to the UFC in June
UFC veteran Michel Prazeres has won 10 of his 13 fights in the promotion, including a decision victory over former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns. 'Trator' makes his first octagon appearance since February 2019 this weekend, when he takes on the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC Fight Night 190.
Prazeres tested positive for "exogenous boldenone and its metabolite" in an out-of-competition test in March 2019, following which he was handed a two-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The ban ended in March earlier this year.
Now 39 years of age, Prazeres may not have many fights left at the UFC level.
#3 Niko Price - returns to the UFC in July
Niko Price is one of the more exciting fighters on the roster, with his tendency to get sucked into brawls well documented. 'The Hybrid' tested positive for marijuana, resulting in a six-month ban that ended in March.
Following a three-round war against Donald Cerrone, which was initially adjudged a draw but later overruled to a no-contest, Price was fined and suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Interestingly, the UFC announced a change in their policy towards marijuana use at the turn of the year. Now, fighters won't be punished for the same.
The 31-year-old returns at UFC 264 in July, where he takes on another flashy fighter in Michel Pereira.
#2 Yair Rodriguez - date of UFC return unknown
The exciting Yair Rodriguez didn't test positive for a banned substance, unlike the others on this list. Instead, USADA banned him over three "whereabouts" failures in one year, which means that he failed to provide samples when necessary.
USADA's statement on the matter read:
"Rodriguez failed to update his Whereabouts information and was unavailable for testing at locations provided in his Whereabouts Filings on three occasions. He accrued a Whereabouts Failure in each of the first three quarters of 2020. The accumulation of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period constitutes a policy violation under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy."
Rodriguez had his suspension reduced to six months, with him being eligible to fight again since March. 'El Pantera' was booked to fight Max Holloway, but 'Blessed' had to pull out of the bout citing an undisclosed injury.
The UFC wants Giga Chikadze to replace Holloway, with Rodriguez reportedly not keen on the idea. The Mexican's exact date of return is yet to be finalized, but it is safe to say that he will be in action this calendar year.
#1 TJ Dillashaw - returns to the UFC in July
Perhaps the most famous positive test in recent memory, former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw was found guilty of using erythropoietin (EPO), shortly after losing a flyweight title bout against Henry Cejudo in January 2019.
Dillashaw claimed that he used the highly frowned-upon substance to cut down to 125 lbs, and even said "I'm not mad I did it."
"It's a very effective substance. It's not a substance you find in contaminated supplements; it's injectable only. You have to know what you're doing when it enters your system. On a scale of seriousness in anti-doping, it's up near the top," UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky said after Dillashaw's positive test.
Dillashaw was scheduled to face off against top bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen, but a cut suffered during sparring led to the postponement of the fight. It will now take place on July 24 at the APEX facility in Las Vegas.
