Bassil Hafez has announced that he has been suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, revealing the news himself before any press release from Combat Sports Anti-Doping.
Hafez said the banned substance was discovered in a peptide he was taking while recovering from three surgeries in the year, and noted that he has been fully cooperating with Combat Sports Anti-Doping throughout the testing process.
“I have bad news for you guys,” Hafez said, before explaining: “I’ve been suspended by the UFC and CSAD because of a mistake that happened during my recovery. I took a supplement during my healing process that ended up containing a banned substance. I had provided the clinic with the banned substance list and made it clear that those ingredients were not allowed, but it still ended up being included in the mix. At the end of the day, it falls on me for not double and triple checking before taking it. Being injured and sidelined from the sport I’ve spent the last 16 years training for has been incredibly rough, both mentally and physically.”
He added: “The could’ve, would’ve, should’ve won’t change anything now. I’ve been tested my entire career (17 times to be exact) and have never had a positive test or any issues before this. All I can say is that mistakes happen, and I’ll learn from this. Now it’s time to accept the outcome, move forward, and do better in the future. I can’t wait to see you guys in the Octagon again. All love ❤️ Your support is always appreciated.”
Hafez holds a professional record of 9-5-1 in MMA and 1-2 in the UFC. His last appearance was a loss to Oban Elliott at UFC 309 in November 2024, which followed a unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall at UFC 302.
