Anti-Doping
Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced today that Hamdy Abdelwahab of Cairo, Egypt, has accepted a 6-month sanction for his second violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP).
Abdelwahab tested positive for values consistent with the administration of testosterone of exogenous origin in a urine sample collected by Drug Free Sport International (DFSI), the biological sample collection and shipping agency of the UFC’s ADP, on March 23, 2024. Prior to Abdelwahab being notified of this adverse finding, another sample that he provided to DFSI on May 3, 2024, also tested positive for values consistent with the administration of testosterone of exogenous origin. Because Abdelwahab had not yet been notified by CSAD of the first adverse finding, the second adverse finding is not being treated as a separate violation under the UFC ADP. Finally, in a third sample he provided to DFSI on May 23, 2024, Abdelwahab again tested positive for values consistent with the administration of testosterone of exogenous origin. Dr. Daniel Eichner, the director of the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL), and the UFC ADP’s science advisor, determined that the 3rd adverse finding was a residual amounts remaining from the first two adverse samples, and not re-exposure or re-administration of testosterone. Therefore, all three adverse findings are being treated by CSAD as one violation.
Upon CSAD notifying Abdelwahab of the first adverse finding, he submitted a receipt of purchase, along with a bottle of a dietary supplement he procured at a major, big box retailer in the United States and abroad. The supplement was analyzed at SMRTL and found to contain low levels of testosterone throughout the capsules within. While there were no prohibited substances listed on the label of the product, the supplement was not 3rd party tested and certified as banned substance free by one of the UFC ADP’s approved certifiers. All UFC athletes regularly receive education that 3rd party tested and certified supplements are the ONLY supplements they should consume.
Under the UFC ADP, CSAD evaluates each case and can reduce periods of ineligibility based on the athlete’s degree of fault. In this case, while the evidence reflects that Abdelwahab did not intentionally use testosterone, CSAD concluded that he was negligent by failing to consume UFC approved, 3rd party tested and certified supplements. However, CSAD did take into consideration that Abdelwahab was able to establish through documentation and lab testing analysis that he purchased a supplement that was contaminated with testosterone from a well-known and reputable retail franchise, that he did not intentionally use a prohibited substance and that based on the level of testosterone in the contaminated supplement, along with the dosage and duration of using the supplement, received no significant performance advantage.
For these reasons, CSAD has determined that an appropriate sanction is a 3-month period of ineligibility, that is doubled to 6-months, because Abdelwahab has already received a first violation under the program. Under the UFC ADP, the penalty imposed for a second violation is doubled. Abdelwahab is currently serving a two-year suspension for a violation of the UFC ADP in 2022. His first period of ineligibility ends on July 30, 2024. Therefore, with this additional 6-month sanction for his second violation, Abdelwahab will be eligible to compete in UFC events again on January 30, 2025.
CSAD independently administers the year-round anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. All biological sample collections and shipping under the UFC ADP are conducted by DFSI, the global leader in the anti-doping industry with more than 5,000 collection personnel worldwide. All information concerning the UFC ADP, including all of its written policies and athlete test statistics can be located at ufcantidoping.com. These policies are available in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
CSAD also makes available a reporting mechanism for known and suspected abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in UFC at the email address tipline@csad.org .