Seven fighters under the Professional Fighters League banner were suspended and fined after testing positive for banned substances.
Of the seven fighters flagged, the most notable was the PFL’s 2022 light heavyweight champion, Rob Wilkinson, and ex-UFC title challenger Thiago Santos. Per a report from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Wilkinson tested positive for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, resulting in the “androgynous origin of testosterone, an anabolic androgenic steroid.” As a result, Wilkinson was slapped with a nine-month suspension that will conclude on January 1, 2024. He was also fined $7,500 in addition to prosecution and testing fees.
Santos was handed a six-month suspension after testing positive for clomiphene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator. He was fined $12,500 and will be eligible to return as of October 1, 2023.
Heavyweight standout Rizvan Kuniev tested positive for an assortment of anabolic steroids, including drostanolone, methenolone, boldenone, 19-norandrosterone. He was suspended for one year, a punishment that will conclude on April 1, 2024. He was charged a $9,000 fee along with $326 for prosecution fees and $495 for additional testing fees. His victory in April over Renan Ferreira was also overturned and dubbed a no-contest.
Multiple PFL Athletes Suspended and Fined Following Mass Substance Abuse
Mohammad Fakhreddine was also suspended for one year and fined $6,000, plus additional fees, after testing positive for drostanolone and stanozolol, also an anabolic steroid.
Will Fleury and UFC veteran Cezar Ferreira were both hit with nine-month suspensions, with Ferreira testing positive for clomiphene and 19-norandrostorone while Fleury is said to have had an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio resulting from drostanolone, an anabolic steroid. Ferreira was hit with a $3,000 fine, while Fleury was ordered to pay $2,500. They will both be eligible to compete as of January 1, 2024.
Fleury’s win over Krzysztof Jotko will also be switched to a no-contest.
And last but not least, Daniel Torres received a nine-month suspension after testing positive for drostanolone and amphetamines. He will be permitted to return on January 1, 2024, and has been ordered to pay a fine of $2,500 plus prosecution fees.
Every fighter in the report was promptly removed from the 2023 PFL season though the promotion is yet to reveal any long-term plans for the guilty parties.
NSAC report courtesy of MMA Fighting
