USADA announced today that Hamdy Abdelwahab, of Bronx, N.Y., has accepted a two-year sanction for violations of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.
Abdelwahab, 30, tested positive for methenolone (metenolone) and its metabolite (3α-hydroxy-1-methylene-5α-andostan-17-one) as the result of a sample collected in-competition on July 30, 2022, and a sample collected out-of-competition on August 27, 2022. Because Abdelwahab was not yet notified of his first positive test when his second test was collected, the two positive tests are combined into a single violation. Methenolone is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy (the Policy) and UFC Prohibited List.
Upon being added to the UFC Anti-Doping Program, athletes are required to declare prohibited substances they have used in the previous 12 months and the failure to make such a declaration, absent a compelling justification, is considered a tampering violation under section 2.5.2 of the Policy. Abdelwahab did not declare the use of methenolone on his onboarding declaration forms and did not establish a compelling justification for his failure to do so. Based on USADA’s investigation, it was determined that Abdelwahab used the prohibited substance and knew of his obligation to declare it. The evidence constitutes a tampering violation in addition to the violation for his positive test for methenolone.
Abdelwahab’s two-year period of ineligibility began on July 30, 2022, the date his first positive sample was collected. Abdelwahab’s positive test also falls under the jurisdiction of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which is resolving the case in accordance with its rules.
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (https://UFC.USADA.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (https://UFC.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List and periodic athlete alerts. Many of the resources available to athletes are provided in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese.
USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by text at 87232 (“USADA”), by email at playclean@USADA.org, by phone at 1-877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253), or by mail.
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