A rising heavyweight hopeful recently got himself into a world of trouble before making his UFC debut.
On Thursday, the UFC announced via press release that Danylo Voievodkin had been handed a 24-month suspension by the Combat Sports Anti-Doping Commission (CSAD), which began on Nov. 10, 2024, after breaching the promotion’s anti-doping policy.
Voievodkin’s October 2024 sample tested positive for Meldonium, a banned substance classified under Hormone and Metabolic Modulators. Recognized for its ability to boost cardiovascular function and endurance, the drug provides an unfair competitive edge.
The 24-year-old undefeated Ukrainian competed on the seventh week of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) last September, securing a first-round submission victory over Bailey Schoenfelder to earn his UFC contract. However, following the violation, the MMA promotion abruptly terminated his deal.
Now serving a two-year suspension, Voievodkin faces a chancy road ahead in his professional career.
Recently, he took to his Instagram Stories to voice his frustration, asserting that a later test came back negative. He also blamed his management’s negligence, claiming he had been unfairly framed in the doping scandal.
“Many questions about this. I’ll say the test taken a month and a half later was negative. Meldonium is taken for almost a year. They offered me to confess, and then they would cut it to half a year. I stood my ground. But my management did nothing in this situation. I understand that a manager you haven’t seen in your life doesn’t care about you as a fighter. I’ll come to a conclusion: you only need to work with people you trust with everything,” Voievodkin wrote.
Voievodkin boasts a flawless 7-0 professional record, with all his victories ending in the first round — five by knockout and two by submission.
