Anti-Doping
Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced today that Bassil Hafez of Las Vegas, Nevada, has accepted a twelve-month period of ineligibility for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP).
Hafez tested positive for ipamorelin, a prohibited peptide hormone in the Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics category of the UFC Prohibited List. The prohibited substance was detected in an out-of-competition sample collected from Hafez on March 20, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During CSAD’s investigation, Hafez provided full and complete cooperation as defined under the UFC ADP. His cooperation included identifying and introducing CSAD to a wellness clinic he had used to obtain substances he believed were permitted for injury recovery purposes. Hafez has not competed since November 2024 due to injury and did not have a bout scheduled at the time the sample was collected.
Evidence gathered during the investigation indicated that, although Hafez claimed he was unaware that a product provided to him by the wellness clinic contained ipamorelin, he acted with gross negligence by consuming the product without conducting adequate due diligence regarding its ingredients and their prohibited status.
Under the UFC ADP, CSAD may, in its sole discretion, reduce or suspend a period of ineligibility when an athlete provides full and complete cooperation. After reviewing the evidence, including information indicating Hafez did not intentionally use ipamorelin to obtain a performance advantage in connection with any scheduled competition, CSAD imposed a twelve-month period of ineligibility.
Hafez’s suspension began on March 20, 2026, the date the sample was collected, and he will be eligible to compete again in UFC bouts on March 20, 2027.
CSAD independently administers the UFC’s year-round anti-doping program. Sample collections under the UFC ADP are conducted by Drug Free Sport International (DFSI), a global anti-doping organization with more than 5,000 trained collection personnel worldwide. All samples are analyzed at the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For more information about the UFC Anti-Doping Program, including policies, athlete testing statistics, and guidance on the use of third-party tested and certified dietary supplements, visit ufcantidoping.com. Resources are available in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.
CSAD also maintains a confidential reporting mechanism for known or suspected performance-enhancing drug use in the UFC at tipline@csad.org.