Fabricio Werdum believes his potential anti-doping violation is nothing more than a “misunderstanding,” and the former heavyweight champion hopes to be cleared to return to the UFC soon.
The 40-year-old Brazilian released a statement via Instagram regarding his failed drug test on Tuesday. The UFC announced that “Vai Cavalo” was flagged for an out-of-competition sample collected by USADA on April 25.
“Hey guys, I got up this morning to the news that one of my urine samples from April tested positive for a prohibited substance,” Werdum wrote. “I am working with my team, the UFC and USADA to understand what happened. I’ve always been careful with everything I take and I’ve always supported a clean sport. We will work hard to solve this misunderstanding, and I hope soon to be able to go back to the octagon and do what I love.”
Werdum was reportedly set to face Alexey Oleynik in the headliner of the UFC’s first-ever Russian event in Moscow on Sept. 15. The bout had not been formally announced by the Las Vegas-based promotion.