Iasmin Lucindo opens up about doping case ahead of UFC 333 return
The Brazilian strawweight admits the suspension was difficult to deal with but remains confident she will eventually become UFC champion.
Iasmin Lucindo is ready to return to the Octagon after a difficult year away from competition. The Brazilian will face Nicolle Caliari at UFC 333 on Saturday, marking her first fight since a positive drug test forced her out of a scheduled matchup against Gillian Robertson in December 2025.
Lucindo reflected on the emotional toll of the anti-doping case, acknowledged her responsibility for what happened, and explained how she used the time away to prepare for her return.
Iasmin Lucindo Reflects on Difficult Doping Suspension
Lucindo tested positive for mesterolone, a prohibited substance, in an out-of-competition sample collected in September 2025. Combat Sports Anti-Doping later imposed a nine-month suspension after finding no evidence that she had intentionally used the substance to gain a competitive advantage. The investigation identified possible contamination involving supplements obtained from a compounding pharmacy, although contamination could not be definitively established.
The situation forced Lucindo to withdraw from her scheduled fight against Robertson and left her dealing with criticism and disappointment. The Brazilian admitted that trusting the professionals involved in providing her supplements was a mistake, but said she eventually decided to focus on improving herself rather than dwelling on the setback.
"It was very difficult to deal with," Lucindo told Ag Fight. "It came as a shock because I wasn't expecting it. We always trust the professionals, and my mistake was trusting the professionals, trusting people, you know? It was difficult because we receive hate and all kinds of things. Beyond that, I had to deal with myself. Whether I like it or not, I made a mistake by trusting them. But after a while, I stopped letting it affect me. Instead of spending a year feeling sorry for myself, I decided to spend that year training so I could come back better. I saw it as an opportunity to improve myself. I've made peace with it. I've tried blaming other people, but that won't help. I have to take responsibility for trusting them. Now it's time to move forward."
Iasmin Lucindo Remains Confident She Will Become UFC Champion
The suspension also affected Lucindo's title ambitions. The Brazilian had been scheduled to face Robertson before the doping case forced her withdrawal, and she believes a strong performance could have put her in position to challenge for the strawweight championship.
Lucindo admitted that the missed opportunity continued to weigh on her even after Robertson fought Mackenzie Dern, but she has since made peace with the situation and remains convinced that her time will come.
"Mentally, I was definitely shaken," Lucindo said. "If I had beaten her convincingly, I would have fought Mackenzie for the belt. For a while, even after their fight, I kept thinking about it. It took me a while to fall asleep. But what gave me peace was the belief that God does nothing at the wrong time. My time to become champion will come. I'm going to be champion of this division, no matter how long it takes. It could be in a year, two years, or ten years. I'm convinced of that. I will be champion."
Lucindo and Caliari are scheduled to meet at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
