UFC heavyweight Walt Harris has been suspended for one year following a positive drug test for an illegal anabolic agent and will not be able to compete until June 24, 2024.
UFC heavyweight fighter Walt Harris will be facing a prolonged period on the sidelines following a one-year suspension handed to him by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). The suspension comes as a result of a positive drug test for the illegal anabolic agent drostanolone. Harris had failed the out-of-competition drug test on June 24, just prior to his scheduled bout against Josh Parisian, which was subsequently canceled.
The suspension is retroactive to the date of the failed test, meaning that Harris will be eligible to resume his fighting career on June 24, 2024. Along with the suspension, he has also been asked to pay $392.60 in attorney fees and will be subjected to additional drug testing leading up to his next bout, with tests scheduled 30, 15, and three days before the fight.
In a statement made in July, Harris acknowledged his mistake, stating that the positive test was likely a result of a supplement he had used throughout his career, which had never been approved by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Although he regretted not checking the supplement beforehand, he denied any intention to cheat, claiming he was not a cheater but rather an unwitting victim of his own negligence.
Harris, now 40 years old, has not stepped into the octagon since suffering a first-round knockout loss to Marcin Tybura in June 2021, marking his third consecutive defeat in the UFC. Throughout his career, Harris has competed 16 times in the UFC, with two separate stints, dating back to 2013. Notably, he holds impressive first-round knockouts over Serghei Spivac and Aleksei Oleinik.