Athlete has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy
USADA announced today that Liliya Shakirova, of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.
Shakirova, 29, tested positive for meldonium as the result of a sample collected out of competition on December 5, 2020 in her home country of Uzbekistan. Meldonium is a non-Specified Substance in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and it is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and the UFC Prohibited List.
Upon being added to the UFC Anti-Doping Program, athletes are required to declare prohibited substances they have used in the previous 12 months. An athlete who makes such declaration will not be deemed to have committed a violation but, depending on the substance, may be required to refrain from competition for a period of at least six months and provide at least two negative samples. Shakirova did not declare the use of meldonium on her onboarding declaration forms.
Shakirova’s two-year period of ineligibility began on December 5, 2020, the date her positive sample was collected.
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes globally. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (https://UFC.USADA.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
