Danylo Voievodkin’s UFC hopes have been crushed following a recent Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) ruling.
The heavyweight who earned a spot on the UFC roster via “Dana White’s Contender Series” last year has seen his contract with the promotion get cancelled after failing to comply with their anti-doping policy.
CSAD—which has taken over UFC’s drug testing policy since the departure of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) at the beginning of 2024—recently handed Voievodkin a two-year suspension for meldonium, a prohibited substance.
While many fighters receive a shorter suspension, CSAD found “no mitigating factors” in Voievodkin’s case and thus gave him the full 24-month suspension.
It was confirmed shortly after the announcement by MMA Fighting that Voievodkin was released from the UFC.
The suspension, which is retroactive to November 2024 when he was flagged for a suspicious test result, means that even if he re-joins the UFC roster, he won’t be able to fight under their banner until late 2026.
Voievodkin earned a UFC contract last September after beating CFFC Heavyweight Champion Bailey Schoenfelder in just 73 seconds on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” The win came after a regional run of six wins, all of which occurred in the first round.
Voievodkin is the second fighter to receive a CSAD sanction this year. Earlier this month, it was announced that heavyweight Marcos Rogerio de Lima was given a one-year suspension due to a failed test.
The CSAD has handed out 11 suspensions since it started overseeing the UFC roster 15 months ago.
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