Bassil Hafez handed one-year ban after testing positive for ipamorelin

Bassil Hafez will be sidelined from UFC competition until March 20, 2027, after anti-doping body Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) confirmed a one-year suspension on Wednesday. The welterweight tested positive for ipamorelin — a prohibited peptide hormone — in an out-of-competition sample collected in Las Vegas on March 20.

CSAD’s investigation found that Hafez had obtained the substance from a wellness clinic and claimed he was unaware it was present in the product he was given. The organisation stopped short of treating it as an intentional violation, but concluded he bore significant responsibility for the outcome.

“Evidence gathered during the investigation indicated that, although Hafez claimed he was unaware that a product provided to him by the wellness clinic contained ipamorelin, he acted with gross negligence by consuming the product without conducting adequate due diligence regarding its ingredients and their prohibited status,” CSAD stated. The body also determined that Hafez did not use the substance to gain an advantage in any scheduled competition.

Hafez had pre-empted the official announcement by disclosing the failed test on social media the day before. In a candid post, he explained that he had supplied the clinic with a list of prohibited substances and made clear they were not to be included in any treatment.

“I took a supplement during my healing process that ended up containing a banned substance. I had provided the clinic with the banned substance list and made it clear that those ingredients were not allowed, but it still ended up being included in the mix,” he wrote. “At the end of the day, it falls on me for not double and triple checking before taking it.”

Hafez, who noted he has been tested 17 times throughout his career without a prior positive result, added: “Mistakes happen, and I’ll learn from this.”

The 28-year-old made his Octagon debut in 2023, pushing future welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena to a split decision at UFC on ESPN 49. He subsequently defeated Mickey Gall by unanimous decision before suffering a knockout loss to Oban Elliott at UFC 309.