Hafez handed one-year ban after ipamorelin found in out-of-competition UFC test

Bassil Hafez has been suspended for 12 months after the Combat Sports Anti-Doping Agency confirmed the UFC welterweight tested positive for ipamorelin — a prohibited peptide hormone — in an out-of-competition sample collected in Las Vegas on March 20, 2026. CSAD announced the sanction on Wednesday, with Hafez accepting the ban for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy. He cannot compete again until March 20, 2027.

According to CSAD’s statement, the prohibited substance falls under the Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics category of the UFC Prohibited List. Investigators found that Hafez had obtained the substance from a wellness clinic he was using for injury recovery, and that he cooperated fully during the process — including identifying and introducing CSAD to the clinic in question.

Despite that cooperation, CSAD ruled that Hafez acted with gross negligence. “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,” the agency said.

Hafez addressed the situation on social media before the official announcement, acknowledging the positive test and accepting responsibility. “I took a supplement during my healing process that ended up containing a banned substance,” he wrote. “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. At the end of the day, it falls on me for not double and triple checking before taking it.”

He also reflected on the personal toll of his time away from competition. “Being injured, and sidelined from the sport I’ve spent the last 16 years training for has been incredibly rough, both mentally and physically,” Hafez said. “The could’ve, would’ve, should’ve won’t change anything now.”

Hafez has not competed since November 2024 due to injury and had no bout scheduled at the time of the test. He holds a 1-2 record in the UFC, with his sole win coming against Mickey Gall. His two losses came against Oban Elliott and former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena — the latter being the fight that earned Hafez his UFC contract after he stepped in on short notice and pushed Della Maddalena to a close split decision on debut.