UFC welterweight Bassil Hafez has been handed a one-year suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, dealing a major setback to the rising contender’s career.
The suspension comes months after Bassil Hafez last competed inside the Octagon, where he suffered a third-round knockout loss to fan favorite Oban Elliott at UFC 309 in November.
The 34-year-old fighter, who made waves with his short-notice UFC debut against former champion Jack Della Maddalena in 2023, revealed the news himself on social media before the Combat Sports Anti-Doping Agency officially announced the sanction.
“Alright guys, I got some bad news,” Bassil Hafez said in a video posted to Instagram.“I’ve been suspended by the UFC. I tested positive for a banned substance that was in the peptides I was taking. It was an honest mistake and I had nothing to conceal or hide.
“I had three major surgeries this year alone, which kept me out of fighting. I wanted to make sure I healed properly after the third surgery.
“I’ve always done everything by the book, even sending the clinic a list of banned substances that I shouldn’t be taking. My negligence was trusting them.
“I’ve passed 17 drug tests since joining the UFC in 2023. I’m making this video so other fighters can be aware of these situations.”
CSAD later confirmed that Bassil Hafez tested positive for ipamorelin, a prohibited peptide hormone, in an out-of-competition sample collected on March 20, 2026, in Las Vegas.
According to the agency, Hafez fully cooperated during the investigation and provided details about the wellness clinic that supplied the product he believed was approved for injury recovery.
“During CSAD’s investigation, Hafez provided full and complete cooperation,” the agency said in a statement.
However, officials ruled that Bassil Hafez acted with gross negligence by failing to properly verify the supplement’s ingredients before consuming it.
As a result, Bassil Hafez will remain suspended until March 20, 2027. The setback stalls what had been a promising UFC run for the Philadelphia-based welterweight. Since signing with the promotion in 2023, Bassil Hafez has gone 1-2 inside the Octagon.
He impressed fans in his promotional debut when he stepped in on short notice against Jack Della Maddalena and pushed the former champion to a razor-close split decision despite entering as a massive underdog.
He later picked up his first UFC win against Mickey Gall before suffering back-to-back losses against Oban Elliott and Della Maddalena.
In his own statement, Bassil Hafez accepted responsibility for the failed test while reflecting on the difficult road ahead.
“I took a supplement during my healing process that ended up containing a banned substance,” Hafez said.
“At the end of the day, it falls on me for not double and triple checking before taking it. Being injured and sidelined from the sport I’ve spent the last 16 years training for has been incredibly rough, both mentally and physically.
“The could’ve, would’ve, should’ve won’t change anything now.”
For now, Bassil Hafez faces a long road back, with his UFC return now pushed to 2027.
