At the time that Taila Santos withdrew from her last fight, the PFL did not provide a reason. Now we know why.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced that Santos has been suspended six months for violating the PFL’s anti-doping policy. According to USADA, Santos tested positive for oxandrolone and its metabolites, as well as noroxandrolone and clenbuterol stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on March 21.
The drug test was conducted three weeks before Santos (22-4) was to have fought former Bellator champion Julianna Velasquez in the first round of the PFL women’s flyweight tournament. Santos’ withdrawal from the bout was unexpectedly announced during fight week.
Santos, 31, isn’t eligible to fight again until September 21.
Santos, who nearly pulled off an upset of Valentina Shevchenko in 2022, joined the PFL last year after she was released by the UFC. She went 3-1 last season, which ended with a second-round TKO loss to Dakota Ditcheva in the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight final last November.
