Dana White’s Contender Series veterans suspended for failed drug tests

A pair of fighters who appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series this past season have now been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission over failed drug tests.

The fighters in question are Abdellah Er-Ramy and Francisco Mazzeo, who actually both lost their bouts on the show, and now face a suspension from the commission after using banned substances.

The approved adjudication agreements for both fighters were announced on Tuesday during a monthly meeting for the commission in Nevada.

Er-Ramy, who fell to UFC signee Torrez Finney by first round knockout back in October, was suspended nine months after he tested positive for Drostanolone — an anabolic steroid — and its metabolites following a drug test administered on the day of his fight Oct. 1.

As a result, Er-Ramy was suspended nine months and fined $750 along with $157.04 in prosecution fees. He’ll be eligible to compete again after June 30, 2025 and he’s required to undergo additional drug testing if he competes in Nevada again.

Meanwhile, Mazzeo, who suffered a loss to Kevin Christian in September, also accepted a nine month suspension after he tested positive for GW1516 — a metabolic modulator banned at all times for athletes — and its metabolites. The test was administered on Sept. 24, which was the date of his fight on The Contender Series.

The commission handed him the nine month suspension along with $750 in fines and $157.04 in prosecution fees. He’ll be eligible to compete again after June 23, 2025 and just like Er-Ramy, he’ll be required to undergo additional drug testing before being allowed to compete in Nevada again.

A third fighter Quemuel Ottoni was also on the agenda but his item was pushed back until the January meeting. Ottoni famously dropped out of his fight on The Contender Series just before he was supposed to walk to the cage to face Kody Steele.

In the aftermath of that fight cancellation, Steele had to be rebooked against a different opponent but he still got the job done to earn a UFC contract.

Ottoni won’t find out his fate with the commission until January.