Thiago Tavares tests positive for drostanolone, suspended nine months

Brazilian lightweight Thiago Tavares has failed his UFC on FX 7 post-fight drug test.

UFC officials today revealed that Tavares tested positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone and has been suspended nine months, at which point he must submit a clean sample before returning to the octagon.

UFC on FX 7 took place Jan. 19 at Sao Paulo's Ibirapuera Gymnasium. The evening's main card aired on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook. Tavares (17-5-1 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) opened the evening's main card in a first-round loss to undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov (19-0 MM, 3-0 UFC).

The loss snapped a two-fight win streak for Tavares, who was 4-1-1 in his previous six appearances.

The suspension comes on the heels of a difficult 2012 for Tavares in which he fought just one time. After an injury forced him with withdraw from May's UFC on FOX 3 event, Tavares was twice scheduled to fight Dennis Hallman. The first attempt was at the ill-fated UFC 151 event, which was canceled when Jon Jones refused to face Chael Sonnen on short notice. The second came at UFC on FX 5 when Hallman missed weight for the bout and returned home to deal with personal problems rather than compete at the event.

UFC on FX 7 served as the first fight card to be governed by the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission, or Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA), a newly formed organization recognized by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation. Drug testing for the event was conducted by an independent facility hired by the UFC, as with earlier international events where the UFC acted as commission.

All 22 athletes on the card were tested after the event. The remaining fighters passed the test.