Tag: Jose Henrique

New UFC signee Jose Henrique suspended by USADA before promotional debut

Jose Henrique signed with the UFC in March and less than three months later he’s on a two-year drug suspension.

UFC newcomer [autotag]Jose Henrique[/autotag] has been suspended by USADA – and he hasn’t even made his promotional debut yet.

Henrique (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) signed with the UFC in March and had not yet been booked for a publicly-known fight. However, it was announced Thursday the 6’3″ welterweight fighter recently submitted an out-of-competition sample that tested positive for 19-norandrosterone (19-NA) and 19-noretiocholanolone, both metabolites of nandrolone (19-nortestosterone), and other prohibited 19-norsteroids.

“Nandrolone and other 19-norsteroids are non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List,” USADA said in a written statement Thursday.

According to USADA, Henrique did not declare use of the substance on his anti-doping onboarding forms.

Henrique has not yet publicly commented on the matter.

The test was submitted March 8, which makes Henrique eligible to return March 8, 2025.

Henrique most recently competed in February for Shooto Brasil. He won by third-round knockout, which bounced him back from a knockout loss to Yusaku Kinoshita on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in August.

Fresh Ink: Meet the 4 fighters the UFC signed in March 2023

Find out who joined the UFC in March and learn more about them here.

The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.

Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, Dana White’s Contender Series signees, or the increasingly rare straight-up additions. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.

“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.

Check out the March 2023 list below.

Video: Japan’s Yusaku Kinoshita bludgeons Jose Henrique, ends DWCS 52 with a bang

For the first time in DWCS history, a Japanese fighter earned a UFC deal on the show.

[autotag]Yusaku Kinoshita[/autotag] ended Dana White’s Contender Series 52 with a bang.

In the DWCS 52 main event Tuesday at the UFC Apex, Kinoshita (6-1) put down and finished 6’5″ welterweight opponent [autotag]Jose Henrique[/autotag] (5-1) with punches to end the fight at 0:43 of Round 3.

After a competitive, strike-heavy first two rounds, Kinoshita continued to throw haymakers early in Round 3. Following an eye poke and timeout seconds into the round, a hellacious left hand from the Japanese fighter clattered upside the head of his lanky opponent. The blow dropped Henrique to the canvas and Kinoshita elected to pound away.

While Henrique survived total unconsciousness, improper defense caused referee Jason Herzog to dive in. Henrique was unhappy with the stoppage, as commission officials and cage-side physicians attended to him.

The  DWCS 52 headliner finish sent UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Sean Shelby to their feet.

After the fight, Kinoshita revealed he injured his leg on a kick in the second round but fought through it for the victory.

With the win, Kinoshita became the first fighter in DWCS history to earn a UFC contract. He extended his winning streak to two and kept his perfect finishing rate in victories intact. His only professional loss came in 2021 when he grabbed the cage and was disqualified.

As for Henrique, he loses for the first time as a professional.

The full DWCS 52 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=2576618]

Dana White’s Contender Series 52: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 52 at UFC Apex.

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 52 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Joshua Hedges, UFC)

(Gallery updated throughout the event.)