Omielanczuk Informed of Potential Anti-Doping Violation, Remains on UFC Fight Night Sioux Falls
UFC heavyweight Daniel Omielanczuk was informed of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation involving the banned substance Meldonium on Friday, according to a statement from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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Omnielanczuk was not suspended due to new guidelines issued by WADA regarding situations where punishment can be avoided regarding Meldonium. Omielanczuk is not completely exempt from further sanctions if it is discovered he took the substance after Jan. 1, according to the WADA memo:
However, in this case, the athlete shall be informed that if it is later established based on the results of the excretion studies that he/she did take the drug on or after 1 January 2016, (i) all the results during the period in which the provisional suspension is lifted may be cancelled and prizes returned, and (ii) the ineligibility period ultimately imposed is likely to start on the date of the decision (with a credit for the provisional suspension already served).
Omnielanczuk enters the matchup with Oleinik on the strength of back-to-back victories over Jarjis Danho and Chris de la Rocha. He is 18-5 as a professional with 12 victories inside the distance.
Previously, Islam Makhachev was pulled from a UFC on Fox 19 bout against Drew Dober after testing positive for Meldonium in an out of competition sample collection. On Friday the UFC issued a separate statement announcing that Makhachev’s provisional suspension has been lifted. Makhachev is eligible to return to UFC competition immediately.
Meldonium is a medication used to increase bloodflow in patients with heart conditions and has been commonly used by athletes in Eastern Europe and Russia as a supplement. It is not available in the United States and only recently appeared on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances.
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