Braxton Smith has accepted a two-year sanction from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
On Tuesday, USADA confirmed Smith’s suspension, citing “exogenous administration of testosterone and/or its precursors” from a pair of out-of-competition samples in April and early May, as well as in-competition from a sample taken on the day of his octagon debut loss to Parker Porter at UFC 288 in May.
In a press release, USADA stated that because Smith wasn’t notified of the two pre-fight failures, “the three positive tests are combined into a single violation.”
In the pay-per-view matchup, Smith was knocked out by Porter in the first round. Prior to signing with the UFC, Smith picked up five straight opening round knockout victories from May 2022 to March 2023 after more than eight years away from MMA competition.
According to USADA, Smith is eligible to return on April 19, 2025, and his positive tests are also under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission, meaning he could receive additional punishment from the athletic commission that oversaw the May PPV event.
