Jesse Taylor made a miraculous turnaround in his mixed martial arts career only to have it once again shrouded in a cloud of doubt after he was flagged for a potential UFC anti-doping violation. Taylor vowed to fight the anti-doping charges.
UFC officials on Wednesday revealed that they were notified by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that Taylor was informed of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on Aug. 22, 2017. The statement gives no specific details on the nature of the violation.
Because of the proximity to Taylor’s upcoming scheduled bout at UFC Fight Night 121 in Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 18, against Belal Muhammad, Taylor has been removed from the card and the UFC is currently seeking a replacement
“The truth will come to light! I am just as shocked and surprised by this tragedy. Our team is looking into this matter,” Taylor wrote on his Instagram account on Friday, flatly denying that he failed a drug test for steroids.
“Let due process do it work before judging on the matter. Those that know me know this is wrong. We will fight this and I will be back. I am sorry to Aussie friends and fans, but that fight is off due to this matter. I am very bummed, but we will get to bottom of this. I’ll be back.”
The anti-doping violation is a big blow to Taylor, who has already traveled a long road of redemption to make his way back to the UFC.
