A failed drug test for Marcos Rogerio de Lima means he won’t see the UFC cage until 2026.
A mid-January test collected on Rogerio de Lima found the presence of Anastrozole, a banned substance as part of UFC’s Anti-Doping Policy, per a press release issued by the promotion this week. He has received a one-year suspension due to the infraction.
While Rogerio de Lima had provided Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) with proof that he was prescribed the banned substance as part of the treatment for a medical condition, the testing agency states “De Lima neither checked on the prohibited status himself of the prescription before using it, nor contacted anyone within the UFC Anti-Doping Compliance Team for help to check the status of the prescription.”
Those factors, plus the fact that Rogerio de Lima previously also faced a 2017 U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension also for Anastrozole, caused CSAD to land on giving him a one-year sanction. Due to the suspension time being retroactive to the date the drug test in question was collected, Roger de Lima’s time away will officially end on January 24th, 2026.
The Brazilian heavyweight, who has been in the UFC for over a decade, hasn’t fought in over a year. His last appearance dates back to early 2024, when he returned to the win column with a second-round finish against short-notice opponent Junior Tafa.
By the time he’s eligible to fight again, Rogerio de Lima will be 40 years old and returning after nearly two years away from the cage.
The sanction is CSAD’s first of 2025 and 10th since the program started in early 2024 to replace UFC’s long-standing relationship with USADA.
Knockdown News 