UFC heavyweight Carlos Felipe has apologized to fans following a potential doping violation saw him pulled from UFC Sao Paulo

Felipe was pulled from the UFC Sao Paulo bout with Christian Colombo initially scheduled for Oct. 28 due to a potential USADA violation.

Felipe, the undefeated heavyweight prospect, signed with the UFC off the back of an impressive 8-0 record with six knockouts. Having spent his pro career up to date on the Brazilian circuit, his fight with Colombo represented a jump in class.

The Brazilian must now wait to hear the results of USADA’s findings due to being flagged in an out-of-competition drug test conducted by the agency on July 29.

Felipe took to social media to apologize to fans for the potential violation, adding that he has ‘never taken banned substances’:

“I was informed of a potential violation in the anti-doping test,” Felipe wrote. “I’m well aware that I haven’t used any substance prohibited by USADA. Since signing with the UFC, I didn’t even take caffeine capsules anymore. I’ll be waiting for the USADA trial. I apologize to everyone who was anxious for this fight.”