It’s now clear why Taila Santos was forced out of the PFL World Tournament earlier this year.
Santos, 31, has been suspended six months by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who oversee the PFL’s anti-doping program. USADA officials announced the news on Wednesday, revealing that the Brazilian flyweight had failed an out-of-competition drug test collected on March 21, 2025.
In particular, multiple banned substances and their metabolites were found in Santos’ sample. Those are oxandrolone and its metabolites 17α-hydroxy-17β-methyl-2-oxa-5α-androstan-3-one (Epioxandrolone), 17α-hydroxymethyl-17β-methyl-18-nor-2-oxa-5α-androst-13-en-3-one (long term metabolite (LTM)), 17β-hydroxymethyl-17α-methyl-18-nor-2-oxa-5α-androst-13-en-3-one (LTM), noroxandrolone and clenbuterol.
Oxandrolone and clenbuterol fall under the class of anabolic agents, and are prohibited from use by PFL athletes at all times.
Santos has been suspended six months as a result, the standard sanction against a fighter failing their drug test for the first time under the PFL’s anti-doping policy. That suspension is backdated to March 21, the date her positive sample was collected, making her eligible to return to action in September. Of course, with the PFL World Tournament using a grand prix format, she’s lost her chance at the big prize.
A former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger who came up just short against Valentina Shevchenko, Taila Santos (22-4) won her first three PFL fights last year, and booked a date in the PFL Championship against Dakota Ditcheva. She was stopped by Ditcheva in the second round, but was a favorite in the World Tournament, which Ditcheva is skipping.
