Augusto Mendes has been removed from a proposed bout against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Fight Night 128 due to a potential anti-doping violation, the promotion announced on Tuesday.
The UFC’s full statement on the matter is as follows:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Augusto Mendes of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on March 7, 2018. Due to the proximity of Mendes’ upcoming scheduled bout at UFC Fight Night “Barboza vs. Lee” in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 21, 2018 against Merab Dvalishvili, Mendes has been removed from the card and the UFC is currently seeking a replacement.