Recent UFC newcomer Luis Pajuelo has been cut from the promotion’s roster and suspended 24 months following a drug test failure.
Pajuelo, 29, a native of Peru, joined the UFC rank and file earlier this year, losing via submission to Fernando Padilla at a Fight Night event on March 23, 2024.
While Pajuelo did not have a second fight on the books, he was subjected to an out-of-competition drug test on August 5, with a second sample collected on August 21, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Per a press release by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) via the UFC’s official website, Pajuelo “tested positive for the presence of 19-norandrosterone and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) analysis that reflected values consistent with the exogenous origin of testosterone and its metabolites, both anabolic steroids that are prohibited at all times” under the UFC’s Anti-Doping Policy (ADP).
Pajuello admitted to using deca-durabolin (nandrolone) ahead of the sample collections, and as a result, the UFC has terminated the featherweight’s contract. His 24-month suspension is likely to be upheld in jurisdictions that recognize such sanctions, which will likely prevent him from competing in the U.S., Canada, and much of Europe.
Luis Pajuelo earned himself a shot in the UFC via a win on the 2023 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series, where he finished Robbie Ring with a knee.
