Jasur Mirzamukhamedov has been released from ONE Championship after failing a drug test. He was flagged for a metabolic modifier after his loss to Oumar Kane last month.
The Uzbek heavyweight has a record of 6-1, the defeat to Kane at ONE on Prime Video 5 was the first of his entire career. In addition to being released from the promotion he has also been banned for six months.
Mirzamukhamedov is the second fighter to be punished by the promotion after PED testing was introduced earlier this year. Martin Batur failed a drug test following his win over Paul Elliot at ONE 160, the result was overturned and the Croatian heavyweight was banned for a year.
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New policy
With Mirzamukhamedov having lost by decision to ‘Reug Reug’ the result of the fight at ONE on Prime Video 5 will stand. But the Uzbek’s ONE Championship career is over.
Metabolic modifiers are classified as compounds that alter metabolism in order to achieve an improvement in efficiency of a productive process in the body. The term potentially covers a broad range of PEDs so it is impossible to know exactly what Mirzamukhamedov tested positive for.
Earlier this year ONE Championship started working with International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM). It is an anti-doping service provider headquartered in Sweden with a worldwide network which will ‘independently handle all testing for illegal substances’ according to the promotion.
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Every fighter
Reports suggested that every single fighter on the ONE 158 card was tested by IDTM. It is not clear whether the program will be as extensive for every single event of if the testing will be random.
Since the program was introduced there have been 12 events and so far only two fighters have been sanctioned for failing PED tests. The UFC introduced USADA testing in 2015 with officials travelling all over the world to subject fighters on the roster to random tests.
Since then there has been a series of high profile busts with some of the biggest names in the sport suspended for PED use. Among the UFC fighters to have been caught are Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar and TJ Dillashaw.
Historically Asian promotions have not shown much interest in PED use and Rizin has been known to use suspended fighters on its cards. But ONE Championship seems serious about its drug testing program and while Mirzamukhamedov is only the second fighter to be handed a suspension he is unlikely to be the last.
