Bellator and PFL heavyweight Daniel James is once again in the spotlight due to a failed drug test.
“The American Predator” failed a drug test connected to his November 2022 win over Tyrell Fortune, a result overturned the following year to a No Contest. Now, USADA, who oversee drug testing for the PFL, has announced that James (15-7-1, 1NC) has accepted a 10 month suspension after failing a drug test this past May.
That led to James withdrawing from a rematch with Fortune. At least this time, the results came prior to the fight.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, USADA officials revealed that James tested positive for “bis-(4-cyanophenyl) methanol, a metabolite of letrozole” following an out-of-competition drug test on a sample collected on May 8, 2024. The substance falls under the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is banned at all times for PFL athletes. A maximum sanction of 12 months was on the table for James, but was reduced to 10 due to his cooperation in the investigation.
James last competed in April, defeating UFC alum Marcelo Golm. The Illinois native rather shockingly missed weight for the fight, his PFL debut. The heavyweight turned pro in 2013, and has competed for LFA, ACA, and others in addition to the PFL and Bellator.
