UFC heavyweight matchup scrapped due to banned substance fighter used his 'entire career,' opponent shows class in reaction

UFC heavyweight contender Walt Harris has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming UFC Vegas 77 bout against Josh Parisian after testing positive for a banned substance. Harris took to Twitter to inform the fans about the latest development, and USADA has also confirmed the positive test result.

According to the US anti-doping policy, the UFC heavyweight is currently ineligible to compete until the case is resolved. Harris believes that the banned substance stemmed from the supplement he has been taking throughout his career. He also acknowledged that the supplement, however, was never approved by USADA.

Shattered by the developments, Harris took to Twitter, admitting his mistake in failing to verify the supplement's compliance with anti-doping regulations. In a candid statement, the 40-year-old asserted that he's not a cheat, but called himself an "idiot" for the oversight:

"I believe this came from a supplement that I've trusted my entire career, but at the end of the day, it was never USADA-approved. I'm a complete idiot for not checking prior, but I'm definitely not a cheater."

Check out the full statement below:

Harris also issued an apology to his opponent Josh Parisian and assured that he will cooperate with the UFC and USADA to resolve the situation. USADA acknowledged Harris' commitment to upholding clean sport in a statement that read:

"We appreciate Mr. Harris' statement that he respects clean sport and will cooperate with us to determine the facts and appropriate consequence, if any, given the adverse finding."

Meanwhile, Harris' opponent took to Instagram to react to the news and encouraged the UFC heavyweight to figure out and resolve the situation. Parisian wrote:

"Hey, brother! I am sorry this happened, not just for myself, but for you, too. I’m honestly a huge fan of yours and I hope you’re able to get this figured out. Someone suggested to us that it was a family emergency and I’m incredibly grateful that it wasn’t that."

[Via @thebigticket205 on Instagram]

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UFC heavyweight Walt Harris has tested positive in the past

UFC heavyweight Walt Harris finds himself in a familiar predicament as he's previously tested positive for a banned substance. Harris fought Andrei Arlovski at UFC 232 on December 29, 2018, and won the fight by split decision.

However, his triumph was marred by the report that Harris had tested positive for LGD-4033, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) like ostarine. Consequently, he faced a temporary suspension by California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

The UFC heavyweight received a four-month suspension and was fined $4000. The result of the fight was officially overturned to a no contest. Interestingly, even during that time, Harris managed to demonstrate that the positive test stemmed from a tainted supplement, which resulted in a short suspension.