Lyoto Machida issued an apology Wednesday after admitting to using a banned substance ahead of his now cancelled fight against Dan Henderson at UFC on FOX 19.
"I'm here to tell you that I was caught by surprise by this news," Machida said in a Facebook post. "It has been very difficult for me. I've trained a lot for this fight, I've dedicated a lot with all my teammates."
Machida and Henderson were set to headline Saturday's event in a rematch of their 2013 bout that "The Dragon" won through split decision. The card will continue with Glover Teixeira vs. Rashad Evans as its main event.
Machida says he took a product called "7-Keto" that contains DHEA, a substance clearly restricted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
"I want to tell you that I really didn't know about this substance, so I listed it on my declaration form amongst everything else I was taking," Machida continued. "...and this substance was recently banned in 2016, so I take the blame for not knowing that, and I'd like to say I'm really sorry and apologize to my fans, teammates, and my family. I always try to play by the book, but unfortunately this happened."
