Further details have come to light following a recent update concerning UFC Rio.
A significant weight miss on Friday won’t prevent one of this weekend’s matchups from taking place, but another bout was called off earlier in the week.
This Saturday, the Octagon will be set up at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro for a Fight Night card.
One of the featured bouts heading into October 11 was set to be a clash between two fighters linked by their brothers’ careers in the UFC.
The decision to pull the fight from the card came on short notice, and there is now more information available about why it happened.
Mohammed Usman removed from UFC Rio following reported doping violation
The heavyweight bout between Walter Walker and Mohammed Usman, previously scheduled for the UFC Rio card, was canceled on Thursday night.
News of Usman’s withdrawal was first reported by Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, who did not provide an explanation at the time.
Usman was looking to build on his last win, which had halted a two-fight skid and helped keep his spot in the organisation.
For the Nigerian, younger brother of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, missing out on Saturday’s fight could be just one part of a larger issue.
According to Viana’s update, it was not an injury or illness that forced him out of UFC Rio. Instead, reports suggest he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels back in September.
“I just found out, here’s the reason for the cancellation of the fight with Valter Walker. The test that showed elevated testosterone levels was collected in September,” Viana revealed.
Valter Walker accuses Mohammed Usman of backing out during weigh-ins
Walker was aiming to build on his recent form and stretch his winning run to four in front of the Rio crowd, but the fight’s cancellation did not stop him from showing up at weigh-ins.
The younger brother of Johnny Walker had already stepped on the scales when he addressed Usman’s withdrawal, saying: “I trained a lot for this fight, and this m———– ran.”
Walker had hoped that the UFC might find a replacement opponent on short notice, but with time running out, it appears that option is off the table.
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