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.
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 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.
Taylor was a finalist on Season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter. Prior to the Finale, however, he was caught busting out the window of a rented limousine after being kicked out of a hotel for reportedly harassing female patrons and confronting hotel security. He was subsequently pulled from the Finale by UFC president Dana White. Taylor later had one fight in the UFC, which he lost to CB Dollaway, before making his promotional exit.
After years of fighting for various promotions around the globe, Taylor made his way back to the Octagon via the 25th season of The Ultimate Fighter entitled redemption. Taylor again made his way to the finals, this time defeating Dhiego Lima.
Now, however, his road to redemption is taking a slight detour, pending the outcome of his potential anti-doping violation.
