PFL fighter and former UFC title challenger Taila Santos has received a six-month suspension after testing positive for banned substances. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced the disciplinary action, revealing the reason behind Santos` recent withdrawal from the PFL flyweight grand prix tournament.
The positive test stemmed from an out-of-competition sample collected on March 21, which contained oxandrolone and clenbuterol. According to USADA, these are classified as non-specified anabolic agents and are prohibited at all times under the PFL`s anti-doping policy.
As a consequence of the anti-doping policy violation, Santos was removed from the ongoing PFL World Tournament. She had previously withdrawn from a scheduled bout against Juliana Velasquez.
The 31-year-old Brazilian is eligible to return to competition on September 21, 2024, marking the end of her six-month sanction period.
Santos joined PFL following a notable seven-fight tenure in the UFC, where she challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title in June 2022 in a close contest. Her final UFC appearance was a decision loss to Erin Blanchfield in August 2023 before signing with PFL. In her brief PFL career so far, she reached the finals of the 2024 season before being defeated by Dakota Ditcheva.
Percy Harlow