UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has relinquished his title. Dillashaw took to Instagram to announce that he was flagged in a recent test by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).
As a result, Dillashaw has decided to voluntarily vacate his title while he deals with the matter.
“To all my fans, I wanted to be the first one to let you know that USADA and the NYSAC have informed me of an adverse finding in a test taken from my last fight,” Dillashaw wrote on Instagram. “While words can’t even begin to express how disappointed I am at this time, please know that I’m working with my team to understand what has occurred and how to resolve this situation as quickly as possible. Out of fairness and respect to the rest of the my division, I’ve informed the UFC that I’ll be voluntarily relinquishing my title while I deal with this matter. I want to thank all of you in advance.”
Ariel Helwani of ESPN reported that Dillashaw has been suspended for one year.
“TJ Dillashaw has been suspended for a year by the NYSAC, according to sources,” Helwani announced. “A formal announcement is expected to be made this AM. Unclear at this time if he will be suspended longer by USADA but this is a NYSAC and USADA issue. Also unclear what he failed for. Developing.”
Dillashaw most recently competed against flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. During the bout, Dillashaw was knocked unconscious in just 32 seconds.
