Volkan Oezdemir has revealed he tested positive for EPO in February and received a 16-month suspension. He says he took the banned substance on the advice of a medical professional he met on social media while recovering from an ankle injury, who assured him it was safe and urged him to keep it quiet. Oezdemir injected his first dose that same evening and was visited by doping control three days later. He disclosed everything to the UFC immediately and accepted full responsibility, calling it the biggest mistake of his life.
Volkan Oezdemir has publicly disclosed that he tested positive for erythropoietin, commonly known as EPO, in February and has accepted a 16-month suspension from competition as a result.
The Swiss light heavyweight, ranked ninth in his division at the time of the test, explained that he sought advice from a medical professional he had connected with through social media while recovering from an ankle injury. That individual reportedly assured him the substance was safe to use and urged him to keep it quiet. Oezdemir injected his first dose that same evening. Doping control officers arrived just three days later.
Oezdemir, who is 36 years old and fights out of Fight Move Academy, told officials at the UFC immediately after the test came back positive and accepted full responsibility for what occurred. He described the decision as the biggest mistake of his life.
The orthodox striker holds a professional record of 21 wins and 8 losses and competes at six-foot-two and 188 centimeters with a 75-inch reach. He has built a reputation as an aggressive finisher in the light heavyweight division, averaging nearly five significant strikes landed per minute across his career.
Why it matters
- A 16-month ban will sideline Oezdemir deep into 2027, effectively removing him from the light heavyweight rankings picture during that period.
- The circumstances — a social media contact, a hasty first injection, and a doping test arriving days later — raise questions about athlete education and the risks of unsupervised medical advice during injury recovery.
- Oezdemir's voluntary disclosure and acceptance of responsibility may be factors noted in any future reinstatement proceedings, though the ban itself stands as issued.
