The provisional suspension of Islam Makhachev has been lifted by USADA and the UFC lightweight is immediately eligible to return to competition.
The news of Makhachev’s suspension being lifted by USADA was announced by the UFC on late Friday afternoon.
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, has lifted Islam Makhachev’s provisional suspension due to recent WADA statements regarding the handling of Meldonium cases, making him immediately eligible to return to competition,” the UFC statement said. “Makhachev was provisionally suspended by USADA on April 15, 2016, as a result of a potential Anti-Doping Policy Violation involving Meldonium, a prohibited substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.”
Makhachev was handed a provisional suspension just days before his fight at UFC on FOX 19 against Drew Dober due to a positive drug test for meldonium. The attorney for the UFC fighter maintained that his client had surgery on his heart back in 2014 and was prescribed the substance by the doctor. Following medical documents being sent to USADA, the organization decided to life the suspension of the fighter.