Zubaira Tukhugov, Chechen-born Russian mixed martial artist, who currently fights in the Featherweight division for the UFC, has been flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation, ruling him out of a scheduled bout against Tiago Trator due to take place on Dec 9 at UFC Fight Night 102 in Albany, New York.
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A minimum provisional suspension will have to be served by Tukhugov before USADA reveals the extent of his punishment and possible ban. The UFC released an official statement on the doping issue surrounding the Russian, via their official website that read:
“The UFC organisation was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Zubaira Tukhugov of a potential Anti-Doping violation stemming from out-of-competition sample collections made on September 7, 2016, and October 29, 2016.
USADA has provisionally suspended Tukhugov based on the potential anti-doping violation. The UFC is removing Tukhugov from his scheduled bout against Tiago Trator on December 9 in Albany, New York, and is in the process of attempting to locate a replacement.”
Tukhugov dominated his debut fight and got a unanimous decision win over Douglas Silva de Andrade on February 15, 2013, who was brought in as a replacement for the injured Thiago Tavares. He then met Ernest Chavez, knocking out the American before facing Phillipe Nover in 2015, where he won the fight by split decision.
‘The warrior’ Tukhugov next met Renato Moicano in a fight he lost via split decision earlier this year.
The Russian mixed martial artist is hit with a temporary suspension while Tiago Trator, who Tukhugov was going to face on Dec 9th in Albany, is still on the fight card as the UFC search for a replacement.
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