Back
11 May 2026
The ITA confirms that Nihad Fozail Oglu Nihad has been sanctioned with a 4-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) under article 2.1 and article 2.2 of the GAMMA Anti-Doping Rules (GAMMA ADR).
The athlete provided a sample to the ITA during an in-competition doping control on 22 June 2025 during the 2025 World MMA Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, which yielded an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF)¹ for meldonium.
Meldonium is prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List as S4 Hormone and Metabolic Modulators. It is also prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition) and classified as a non-specified substance. Meldonium may enhance sports performance by improving endurance and recovery through increased oxygen uptake and energy metabolism.
On 31 July 2025, when notified about the case, the athlete was provisionally suspended with immediate effect.²
The athlete did not challenge his ADRV. Pursuant to Article 8.3.3 of the GAMMA ADR, the ITA issued a sanctioning decision³ imposing the applicable consequences, namely a period of ineligibility of four years from 31 July 2025 until 30 July 2029 and the disqualification of his competitive results from 22 June 2025 onwards.
Parties with a right of appeal may challenge the decision before the appeals division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in accordance with article 13.2.3 of the GAMMA ADR.
The ITA will not comment further on this case.
¹ A report from a WADA-accredited laboratory that, consistent with the International Standard for Laboratories, establishes in a sample the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers or evidence of the use of a prohibited method.
² The information about the provisional suspension was publicly disclosed by the ITA shortly after its imposition: https://ita.sport/news/the-ita-notifies-mixed-martial-arts-athlete-nihad-fozail-oglu-nihad-of-an-apparent-anti-doping-rule-violation/.
³ When an athlete does not challenge the assertion of an ADRV and does not request a hearing, anti-doping organisations have the possibility to issue a written decision sanctioning the athlete and imposing the applicable consequences without having to refer the case to a hearing panel. This is provided in articles 8.3.2 and 8.3.3 of the GAMMA ADR and article 8.3 of the World Anti-Doping Code.
