Volkan ‘No Time’ Oezdemir (21-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) revealed on Friday that he’s been suspended for 16 months for a violation of the UFC’s anti-doping policy.
The 36-year-old Oezdemir is currently ranked #8 in the UFC’s light-heavyweight division. He’s 3-1 in his last four Octagon appearances, including a first-round knockout win over Alonzo Menifield last November at UFC Qatar.
Although the promotion hasn’t announced his suspension yet, Oezdemir explained the situation in a post to his Instagram account yesterday.
“In February, I tested positive for EPO after following the recommendations of a healthcare professional,” Oezdemir wrote. “As an athlete, I am responsible for everything I put into my body. I made a mistake and I take full responsibility for it.
“At the end of 2025, I competed in Qatar. A few days later, I was contacted on Instagram by a healthcare professional based in Switzerland. He introduced himself as a supporter and suggested that we meet. During our first meeting, he told me about his connections with influential people, investment opportunities in one of the Gulf states and potential prospects for my career after retirement from sport. He also mentioned the possibility of patronage. I was 36 years old and thinking about life after my sporting career. So I was interested.”
After most of the first meeting with this individual revolved around post-retirement business opportunities, things changed for their second encounter.
“I was recovering from ankle surgery,” Oezdemir explained. “The healthcare professional and I met again. The conversation shifted. He no longer talked about business but about my recovery. He presented me with a plan that, according to him, would get me back to peak physical condition within two months.
“He showed me a substance that he described as safe and undetectable. He had prepared a vial of EPO. He told me not to tell anyone about it. I complied. I gave myself the first injection that same evening. That was my decision. And it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
EPO refers to a banned drug called erythropoietin, which was developed in the 1980s and became widely popular in cycling. It’s the drug that helped Lance Armstrong dominate the Tour de France with seven straight wins from 1999 to 2005.
EPO increases red cell production, sending more oxygen to muscles to elevate one’s stamina. Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw was issued a two-year suspension after testing positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) ahead of his flyweight title bout against Henry Cejudo back in 2019.
“Three days later, the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) team came to my home to conduct an anti-doping test,” Oezdemir added. “On March 5, I was informed that my test had come back positive. In that moment, the illusion was shattered and my reality changed. But in a way, it was also a relief.
“I decided to tell the UFC everything. I cooperated immediately. I did the same with CSAD. In the end, I received a 16-month suspension in light of my cooperation and the mitigating circumstances.
“I acknowledge what I did and I take full responsibility for it. Every athlete is responsible for what they put in their body. I am sharing how this happened because I needed to understand my own actions. And because what happened to me, could happen to other athletes. I let down my sport, my fans and ultimately, myself. To everyone who has supported me, my family, my loved ones and my supporters, I am deeply sorry.”
Oezdemir didn’t specify when his suspension began, but he’ll definitely be out until some point in 2027. He turns 37 in September.
Oezdemir won the first three fights of his UFC tenure, including back-to-back first-round KOs inside of 42 seconds. Those victories earner him a title shot vs. Daniel Cormer at UFC 220 in Boston on Jan. 20 of 2018.
Cormier finished Oezdemir via second-round KO (punches). ‘No Time’ lost to Anthony Smith by third-round submission later in 2018 before dropping a split decision vs. Dominick Reyes at UFC London in March of 2019.
However, Oezdemir snapped his three-fight losing streak with a second-round KO win over Ilir Latifi at UFC Uruguay. He added a split-decision win over Aleksandar Rakic in December of 2019.
Oezdemir welcomed Jiri Prochazka to the promotion at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi, but the eventual 205-pound champion enjoyed a successful Octagon debut by defeating Oezdemir via second-round KO (punch). Next, Oezdemir lost again to an eventual LHW champ when he was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision vs. Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 267.
Oezdemir responded with a UD win over Paul Craig at UFC London in July of 2022, but he lost a UD to Nikita Krylov at UFC 280 three months later. Since that defeat, he’s won three of his last four scraps as previously noted, with the lone loss coming via UD vs. current 205-pound champ Carlos Ulberg.