PFL fighter suspended by USADA for first time under promotion’s new anti-doping program

Gokhan Saricam has the dubious honor of becoming the first athlete to face suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency after partnering with the PFL to launch a new anti-doping program.

USADA officials announced on Thursday that Saricam has been suspended for one year after testing positive for the banned substance clomiphene and its metabolites.

“Saricam, 33, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolites as the result of samples collected out-of-competition on April 29, 2024 and May 12, 2024,” USADA officials said in a statement. “Because Saricam was not yet notified of the positive tests after both samples were collected, they were treated as a single violation. Clomiphene is a Specified Substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is prohibited at all times under the PFL Anti-Doping Policy and PFL Prohibited List.

“Saricam’s one-year period of ineligibility began on April 29, 2024, the date his first positive sample was collected.”

Saricam’s eligibility to compete again happens after April 29, 2025.

While Saricam is part of the PFL roster, he’s yet to actually compete for the promotion after he was schedule to debut in June but ultimately did not fight.

Prior to his move to the PFL, Saricam competed under the Bellator banner where he put together a 5-2 record including wins over Daniel James and Kirill Sidelnikov.

He’ll now have to wait until at least 2025 before he competes again.

The suspension from USADA comes after the PFL partnered with the anti-doping agency following a flurry of positive drug tests that ran rampant through the promotion’s 2023 season. A total of nine fighters tested positive for banned substances while competing in Nevada, which led to the promotion creating an anti-doping program.

Of course, USADA previously administered the UFC’s anti-doping program but the companies split at the end of 2023 in a tumultuous breakup. USADA then moved on to partner with the PFL on a new anti-doping program that launched in 2024.