Former UFC light heavyweight title contender Volkan Oezdemir admitted to taking EPO and announced he has been suspended for 16 months.
Oezdemir, the No. 8-ranked light heavyweight in the Meta UFC Rankings, took to social media on Friday to announce he has been suspended for 1.5 years as a result of failing a drug test.
According to a statement from the UFC, Oezdemir will be eligible to fight again on June 17, 2017, which is 16 months from the time he tested positive on February 16, 2026.
The fighter fully admits that he took banned substances and shared his story so other UFC athletes do not make the same mistake that he did.
Volkan Oezdemir Announces Suspension
Oezdemir shared a series of statements on his Instagram, which are compiled as follows:
“In February, I tested positive for EPO after following the recommendations of a healthcare professional. As an elite athlete, I am responsible for everything I put into my body. I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility for it,” Oezdemir shared.
“At the end of 2025, I competed in Qatar. A few days later, I was contacted on Instagram by a healthcare professional based in Switzerland. He introduced himself as a supporter and suggested that we meet. During our first meeting, he told me about his connections with influential people, investment opportunities in one of the Gulf states, and potential prospects for my career after retirement from sport. He also mentioned the possibility of patronage. I was 36 years old and thinking about life after my sporting career, so I was interested.
“I was recovering from ankle surgery. The healthcare professional and I met again. The conversation shifted. He no longer talked about business, but about my recovery. He presented me with a plan that, according to him, would get me back to peak physical condition within two months. He showed me a substance that he described as safe and undetectable. He had prepared a vial of EPO. He told me not to tell anyone about it. I complied. I gave myself the first injection that same evening. That was my decision. And it was the biggest mistake of my life.
“Three days later, the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) team came to my home to conduct an anti-doping test. On March 5, I was informed that my test had come back positive. In that moment, the illusion was shattered, and my reality changed. But in a way, it was also a relief.
“I decided to tell the UFC everything. I cooperated immediately. I did the same with CSAD. In the end, I received a 16-month suspension in light of my cooperation and the mitigating circumstances: • a healthcare professional played a significant role; • he initially approached me under the pretense of discussing business; • he had prepared the substances himself and provided them to me free of charge.
“My independence has always been one of my strengths. I left home at a young age to live abroad. I built my career far from my family. I moved from country to country to pursue my sport. I got used to dealing with problems on my own. But this time, it became a weakness. Today, I want to say to every athlete—especially those competing in individual sports—that isolation is a risk.
“I acknowledge what I did, and I take full responsibility for it. Every athlete is responsible for what they put into their body. I am sharing how this happened because I needed to understand my own actions. And because what happened to me could happen to other athletes. I let down my sport, my fans, and ultimately, myself. To everyone who has supported me—my family, my loved ones, and my supporters—I am deeply sorry.”
Volkan Oezdemir’s UFC Career
Volkan Oezdemir is a 36-year-old Swiss native who began his MMA career in 2010 in his home country. He later moved on to Bellator MMA before joining the UFC in 2017.
He immediately became a light heavyweight contender with three straight wins over Ovince Saint Preux, Misha Cirkunov, and Jimi Manuwa in his first three UFC bouts to earn a title shot against then-UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who TKOed Oezdemir at UFC 220 in January 2018.
Overall, Oezdemir has a 21-8 MMA record with 16 wins by stoppage, including 14 wins by knockout. He has a 9-7 UFC record, with his most recent win coming by KO over Alonzo Menifield at UFC Qatar last November.
Volkan Oezdemir Admits Taking EPO, Announces UFC Suspension