Matheus Nicolau Pulled from UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo Due to USADA Violation

Matheus Nicolau Pereira will not be competing at UFC Fight Night 100 in Sao Paulo after failing an out-of-competition drug test.

Nicolau has been provisionally suspended after being notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from a sample collected on Oct. 13. As a result, the Brazilian flyweight has been removed from his Nov. 19 bout against Yuta Sasaki. Nicolau is entitled to a full legal review process before receiving any punishment.

According to a statement, the UFC is “exploring whether or not a replacement to fight Sasaki can be arranged.”

Nicolau is 12-1-1 as a professional and 2-0 in the Octagon. Most recently, he took a split decision over former 125-pound title challenger John Moraga at “The Ultimate Fighter 23” finale on July 8.