Mohammed Usman will not be back in the Octagon anytime soon after receiving a two-year-and-six-month suspension from the USADA.
The brother of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was pulled from UFC Rio last October after testing positive for elevated testosterone levels. He had been set to face Valter Walker, but was replaced by Lukasz Brzeski.
In June 2025, Usman defeated Hamdy Abdelwahab at UFC Baku and snapped a two-fight losing skid. He was hoping to build on that momentum before the failed drug test derailed his plans.
Following the indiscretion that prevented his return, the UFC heavyweight will not be able to fight again until 2028, at the very least.
Mohammed Usman handed lengthy UFC ban for drug test failure and deception
A few months after being pulled from UFC Rio, the terms of Usman’s punishment have now come to light.
Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) released a statement on UFC.com on Thursday confirming that the heavyweight has agreed to a 30-month ban for breaching the UFC’s anti-doping policy.
Usman not only tested positive for testosterone – an anabolic agent banned at all times – but also tried to mislead CSAD with a false explanation.
The attempt to deceive earned him an additional six months on top of his original suspension, bringing the total to 30 months from September 8, when he was first notified of the failed test.
Usman’s ban means he will not be eligible to fight again until April 9, 2028.
Dana White comments on Kamaru Usman’s title aspirations
While Mohammed is sidelined, his brother has been looking for another run at a UFC belt.
Makhachev had said he would like to face Usman following his win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last November.
However, there is plenty of debate about whether Usman deserves another shot. Since 2021, his only win has come against Joaquin Buckley.
The fact that both fighters have dismissed the criticism has not made much difference in the end. The match-up is far from confirmed.
When asked by Complex about Usman’s potential shot this year, White replied: “We have got to see how some of the stuff plays out.
“We have got to see when (Ilia) Topuria is coming back. In a perfect world, he fights one of these two that’s fighting for the title right now. (Khamzat) Chimaev, when is he coming back?
“There are still a lot of things that must play out before I can decide who fights who.”
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