2019 was not a good year for T.J. Dillashaw. Not only did he begin the year with a first-round TKO loss to Henry Cejudo, he also tested positive for EPO, forcing him the relinquish the UFC bantamweight title and sit out for two years.
On Monday’s episode of the Ariel Helwani MMA Show, Dillashaw spoke in detail about what urged him to take the banned substance.
“I took an anemia medication called Procrit, which the main ingredient in it was Erythropoietin (EPO),” he explained (transcript by MMA Mania). “It helps rebuild blood cells. When you become anemic, your red blood cells start to plummet and you lose energy.