UFC welterweight Bassil Hafez suspended 1 year after testing positive for banned substance

UFC welterweight Bassil Hafez has been handed a one-year suspension by the Combat Sports Anti-Doping Agency (CSAD) after testing positive for ipamorelin, a prohibited peptide hormone, in an out-of-competition sample collected on March 20, 2026, in Las Vegas.

Hafez accepted the 12-month sanction, which was announced on Wednesday, in violation of the UFC's anti-doping policy. Ipamorelin falls under the Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics category of the UFC Prohibited List—compounds banned due to their potential performance-enhancing effects.

According to CSAD, Hafez demonstrated full cooperation throughout the investigation, including identifying and introducing officials to a wellness clinic believed to be connected to the positive test. Such cooperation is often a mitigating factor in anti-doping cases and may have influenced the outcome of his case.

Hafez will be ineligible to compete under UFC sanctions until the suspension expires. First-time anti-doping violations in combat sports typically result in suspensions ranging from one to two years, depending on the substance, circumstances, and degree of athlete cooperation during the investigation.