Volkan Oezdemir banned 16 months after EPO test failure he calls 'biggest mistake of my life'

Volkan Oezdemir will not compete again until at least 2027 after the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger disclosed on Friday that he has been suspended for 16 months following a positive test for erythropoietin (EPO). The 36-year-old Swiss fighter broke the news himself on Instagram, saying he takes full responsibility and has no one else to blame.

Oezdemir described being approached via Instagram by a man who identified himself as a healthcare professional based in Switzerland, shortly after competing in Qatar at the end of 2025. The individual initially discussed business connections and investment opportunities, before the conversation shifted to Oezdemir’s recovery from ankle surgery.

“He presented me with a plan that, according to him, would get me back to peak physical condition within two months,” Oezdemir wrote. “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.”

EPO is a drug commonly associated with endurance sports that stimulates red blood cell production, increasing the amount of oxygen delivered to muscles and boosting stamina and performance. Its use is prohibited across combat sports.

Just three days after administering the injection, Oezdemir was visited at home by the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) team for a routine test. He was informed of the positive result on 5 March.

“In that moment, the illusion was shattered and my reality changed,” he wrote. “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.”

The UFC has not issued an official announcement regarding the suspension or the circumstances of the positive test. Oezdemir, who challenged Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title in 2018, acknowledged that regardless of how the situation unfolded, the responsibility was ultimately his own.

“As an athlete, I am responsible for everything I put into my body,” he said. “I made a mistake and I take full responsibility for it.”

The suspension leaves Oezdemir’s UFC future uncertain. He was already working his way back from surgery when the failed test occurred, and he will be approaching 38 years old before he is eligible to return to competition.