Dana White (Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe UFC and Brazilian heavyweight Marco Rogerio de Lima have parted ways, per UFC Roster Watch. The 39-year-old was recently suspended for a year after testing positive for anastrozole in January—his second violation for the substance.
Combat Sports Anti-Doping determined the positive test stemmed from a medication de Lima was taking for a known medical condition. However, because he failed to apply for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE), he was suspended. Though the violation was deemed involuntary, the second offense led to an automatic one-year ban instead of six months.
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 14: Marcos Rogerio de Lima poses for a portrait during a UFC photo … [+]
Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesThe UFC’s decision to part ways with de Lima may have been influenced by both his age and the suspension. His release comes nearly 11 years after he first appeared on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil in March 2014. De Lima reached the semifinals before losing to Antonio Carlos Jr. via first-round submission.
Despite the loss, de Lima earned a UFC contract and made an immediate impact, scoring back-to-back first-round KO wins over Richardson Moreira and Igor Pakrajac. The victories took less than two minutes combined, with one coming at heavyweight and the other at light heavyweight.
However, submission defense and weight-cutting struggles plagued de Lima throughout his career. He suffered first-round submission losses to Nikita Krylov in 2015 and Gadzhimurad Antigulov in 2016. He then missed weight in his next two fights, splitting results with a KO win over Jeremy Kimball and a submission loss to Ovince Saint Preux via Von Flue choke in 2017.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 17: Marcos Rogerio de Lima of Brazil reacts after his TKO victory … [+]
Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesBetween 2018 and 2023, de Lima went 6-4, with three losses by submission. His most recent victory came at UFC 298 in February 2024, where he stopped Junior Tafa with leg kicks and ground-and-pound. He was scheduled to fight Kennedy Nzechukwu in October 2024 but later withdrew.
At 39 and facing a one-year ban, de Lima’s return to the UFC appears unlikely. The promotion has been moving away from aging heavyweights who have seemingly hit their ceiling. As of March 19, 2025, only Marcin Tybura and Derrick Lewis remain in the UFC heavyweight rankings at 39 or older.
De Lima’s history with banned substances may have expedited his exit. Once his suspension ends, he could find a new home in the Professional Fighters League or Global Fight League.
Up Next – UFC London
The UFC heads to London on Saturday, March 22, as Leon Edwards returns to the Octagon to take on Sean Brady. Here’s a look at the full fight card.
Main Card (Starting at 3:00 PM ET):
- Welterweight Bout: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Jan Błachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg
- Welterweight Bout: Gunnar Nelson vs. Kevin Holland
- Women’s Strawweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara
- Lightweight Bout: Jordan Vucenic vs. Chris Duncan
- Featherweight Bout: Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charrière
Preliminary Card (Starting at 12:00 PM ET):
- Lightweight Bout: Jai Herbert vs. Chris Padilla
- Flyweight Bout: Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Felipe dos Santos
- Heavyweight Bout: Marcin Tybura vs. Mick Parkin
- Middleweight Bout: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Andre Pulyaev
- Women’s Strawweight Bout: Shauna Bannon vs. Puja Tomar
- Bantamweight Bout: Nathan Fletcher vs. Caolan Loughran
- Lightweight Bout: Guram Kutateladze vs. Kaue Fernandes
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