Mohammed Usman is officially out of the UFC.
The former The Ultimate Fighter Season 30 heavyweight winner has been removed from the UFC roster following a 30-month suspension tied to a failed drug test. The move ends Mohammed Usman’s promotional run despite a respectable 4-2 record inside the Octagon.
UFC officials confirmed the roster update after an initial report surfaced Thursday. Welterweight Adam Fugitt was also released as part of the latest cuts.
Mohammed Usman, the younger brother of former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, built early momentum after winning The Ultimate Fighter 30 with a knockout of Zac Pauga in August 2022. He followed that up with victories over Jake Collier and Junior Tafa, quickly positioning himself as a rising name in the heavyweight division.
However, Mohammed Usman’s trajectory shifted after back-to-back losses to Thomas Petersen and Mick Parkin. He rebounded with a decisive win over Hamdy Abdelwahab last June, appearing to regain his footing.
Then came the suspension.
In January, Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) officials announced that Mohammed Usman tested positive for testosterone under the UFC’s anti-doping policy. He also admitted to using the banned peptide BPC-157. According to CSAD, those violations led to his removal from a previously scheduled bout.
“While Usman ultimately took responsibility for the above details, he did not do so in a timely fashion and not until CSAD confronted him with evidence they had independently collected during a detailed investigation of his use of these multiple prohibited substances as well as his attempt to deceive CSAD with a false explanation,” CSAD officials wrote when announcing the suspension.
“Under the UFC ADP, if a UFC athlete uses multiple substances like Usman did and engages in deceptive or obstructive conduct to avoid the adjudication of an Anti-Doping Policy Violation like he did, then aggravating circumstances are determined to exist.
“While aggravating circumstances can double a standard suspension, because Usman ultimately admitted to the prohibited behavior, CSAD determined that a six-month addition to the standard 2-year suspension for using these substances was appropriate for these aggravating factors.”
As a result, Mohammed Usman will not be eligible to compete again until after April 9, 2028. The UFC has decided not to wait for his return.
A scheduled bout against Valter Walker was previously scrapped, officially due to injury, but the suspension ultimately halted any immediate comeback plans. With his release, Mohammed Usman now becomes a free agent and will need to explore opportunities outside the UFC once he is eligible to fight again.
Adam Fugitt’s departure follows a 2-4 run in the promotion, including recent losses to Michael Morales, Mike Malott, Islam Dulatov, and a knockout defeat to Ty Miller at UFC 324. Like Mohammed Usman, Fugitt could potentially return under a new deal in the future, but for now, both fighters are off the roster.
For Mohammed Usman, what once looked like a promising UFC career has hit a major setback. Whether he can rebuild his momentum elsewhere remains to be seen.
