Shortly before the UFC sold to WME for over 4 billion dollars in 2016, UFC brass Lorenzo Ferttita and Dana White needed to tighten up their product by finding ways to "clean up" the public perception of MMA before putting their company on the market.

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To combat growing stigmas about the rampant abuse of performance enhancing drugs in MMA, the UFC partnered with USADA to level up their detection process and make it harder for athletes to cheat. For some fighters this had drastic consequences as sanctions could see athletes suspended for months, years, and in some cases, even lifetimes.

10 TJ Dillashaw (2 years)

In 2018, TJ Dillashaw attempted to become a double champion by moving down to the flyweight division and challenging Henry Cejudo for the 125lbs crown. The drop in weight class clearly took a toll on Dillashaw, who appeared depleted and weak in the days leading up to the championship match.

Shortly after losing via first round KO, USADA announced Dillashaw had tested positive for EPO, a high grade performance enhancing supplement, first made famous by professional cyclist Lance Armstrong. After initially denying the accusations, Dillashaw eventually came clean, blaming the disastrous weight cut and the toll it took on his body for being the reason why he chose to turn to performance enhancing drugs.

9 Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (2 years)

The legend of Pride and UFC Heavyweight fame made his way onto the USADA sanctioning list without ever actually having a positive test result. Following an out-of-competition test conducted in 2015, Mirko Cro Cop reached out to USADA to let them know he had attempted a number of treatments for a shoulder injury leading into his fight with Anthony Hamilton, including injections of Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

Even though the test could not detect the HGH, Cro Cop's honesty still resulted in a 2-year suspension that lead to his exit from the UFC. Filipovic finished his career outside the jurisdiction of USADA, fighting in Japan's RIZIN promotion until his eventual retirement.

8 Chad Mendes (2 years)

Due to his exceptional strength and impressive physique, unfounded accusations swirled around Mendes' potential steroid use for the majority of his MMA career. For some it wasn't a surprise when Chad Mendes received a 2-year suspension from USADA in 2016 after testing positive for a type of growth hormone.

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Mendes admitted his fault but stated the positive result came from an anti-psoriasis cream that he was using, and not a performance enhancing drug.

7 Frank Mir (2 years)

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir received a 2-year suspension in 2017 following an in competition test at a UFC Fight Night in Brisbane, Australia. After his loss to Mark Hunt, a new type of USADA test caught trace amounts of Turinabol metabolites in Mir's system.

Despite Mir publicly denouncing the legitimacy of the new test results, his sentence remained the same, and he was suspended for 2 years leading to his dismissal from the UFC roster.

6 Chi Lewis-Parry (4 years)

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Prior to signing with the UFC, Chi Lewis-Parry was riding the momentum of an exciting run in the GLORY kickboxing organization and a street beef with Jon Jones. During an out-of-competition test in September 2019, Lewis-Parry tested positive for a litany of anabolic performance enhancing drugs.

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Lewis-Parry only made matters worse when he adulterated a supplement in an attempt to prove he had unwittingly ingested the substances that caused his failed test. USADA felt as if Lewis-Parry had knowingly attempted to "muddy the waters" of their investigation, and opted to serve Perry with a 4-year suspension before he even stepped foot in the Octagon.

5 Francisco Rivera (4 years)

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UFC Bantamweight Francisco Rivera earned an 4-year suspension as the result of falsifying evidence in an attempt to overturn a positive test for Clenbuterol. Rivera claimed the abnormal result was due to consuming tainted meat on a trip to Mexico, and when attempting to verify the details of his trip, Rivera produced falsified bank records as proof of his travel.

USADA was clearly unimpressed by Rivera's lack of professionalism and opted to hand down the one of the harshest suspensions in UFC history.

4 Ricardo Abreu (4 years)

A 3-time gold medal winner at the World BJJ Championships, Ricardo Abreu came into the UFC with lots of momentum and excitement surrounding the skills of the grappling specialist. Following his debut loss in the UFC, the BJJ black belt tested positive for prohibited substances and was issued a 2-year suspension by USADA.

He was once again tested in the midst of his suspension, and again his tests were positive for the exact same performance-enhancing drugs. USADA now handed down a 4-year suspension, and since Abreu was now facing upwards half a decade away from professional MMA competition, he opted to retire.

3 Jon Jones (4 years, reduced to 15 months)

No stranger to dealings with USADA, Jones' tested positive following his TKO win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 217. Despite his lengthy history with steroid accusations and failed tests, Jones faced his harshest charge yet as USADA issued a 4-year suspension to the light heavyweight champion.

In a shocking turn of events, Jones' suspension was reduced to 15 months, a decision made in light of Jones' willingness to co-operate with USADA by providing information regarding the supply chain of PEDs in MMA.

2 Michel Prazeres (4 years)

At one point on an 8 fight win streak, Prazeres was slowly building momentum toward a strong run for contention in the crowded welterweight division. Unfortunately in 2019, Prazeres tested positive for anabolic agents, and was subsequently suspended for 2 years.

Following a loss in his return bout in 2021, Prazeres again tested positive for a multiple performance enhancing drugs, and was given a 4-year suspension that would have him unable to compete until August 2025.

1 Ruslan Magomedov (Lifetime Ban)

Hailing from the same region of Dagestan as UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov, Magomedov as a highly touted prospect with championship potential. In 2019, the 32-year-old heavyweight received the longest USADA sanction in UFC history - a lifetime ban.

Magomedov first tested positive in 2016 for Ostarine, receiving a 2-year sanction. Hoping to continue his 3 fight UFC win streak, he attempted to return in 2018 when once again he tested positive for multiple anabolic steroids. Magomedov's final infraction occurred when he refused to complete a sample collection process, prompting USADA to set an example and issue the lifetime ban.