When the UFC partnered with the United States Anti-Doping Agency in 2015 following a rash of high-profile failed tests, the move was widely praised by fighters in the promotion. Fast forward three years, though, and the shine is starting to come off.
The latest to join a chorus of critics is former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. Last year, the Brazilian was suddenly pulled from a scheduled bout at UFC 215 due to a drug test that was flagged for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. Though USADA would ultimately rule that the issue stemmed from a tainted supplement and give dos Santos a relatively light six-month suspension being pulled from UFC 215, waiting for USADA's ruling and then waiting for the UFC to book him again ultimately translated to more than a year on the shelf.