UFC suspends Hamdy Abdelwahab six months for second drug test failure; points to supplement

Since UFC heavyweight Hamdy Abdelwahab was already in the midst of a drug suspension, the punishment for a second one doubled.

UFC heavyweight Hamdy Abdelwahab hadn’t reached the conclusion of his first drug suspension when the second one was handed out. But according to the promotion’s anti-doping program, the terms of the second failure are different from the first.

Wednesday, UFC anti-doping program CSAD announced Abdelwahab (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been suspended six months for exogenous testosterone. The suspension begins July 30, which marks the conclusion of a two-year drug suspension handed out in 2022. That suspension, which was handed out by then-drug testing partner USADA, was for methenolone and subsequent “tampering.”

Unlike his first drug test failure, however, the promotion was able to locate the source of substance. Abdelwahab provided CSAD with a list of supplements he used, including one that Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) determined contained traces of testosterone, despite not being labeled that way.

According to CSAD, the supplement was not third-party tested, which is a danger the program frequently warns athletes of. As a result, Abdelwahab faced a three-month suspension. However, since Abdelwahab was still amid a previous drug suspension, the penalty doubled to six months.

Abdelwahab will be eligible to return Jan. 30, 2025.

Abdelwahab’s lone UFC appearance was a win over Don’Tale Mayes at UFC 277 in July 2022. The first drug test failure was in connection with the bout, so the win was overturned to a no contest by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

Prior to his UFC signing, Abdelwahab was 3-0 in gloved MMA and 2-0 in bareknuckle MMA. He was the first Egypt-born fighter in UFC history.