He was last seen challenging Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight championship in September, and it appears Alexander Shabliy will now be out a while longer.
On Wednesday, USADA (the U.S. Anti-Doping Association) officials announced that the PFL athlete had accepted a six-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
In Shabliy’s case, the lightweight tested positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO), following an out-of-competition drug test sample collected on March 19, 2025. rEPO is banned at all times under the PFL’s Anti-Doping Policy, which is overseen by USADA.
Per a press release, USADA noted that Shabliy was handed a lighter sentence after it was determined he had not intentionally used the substance. “In this case, USADA’s investigation yielded information suggesting Shabliy’s use was not deliberate, and Shabliy provided valuable cooperation regarding the individual who administered the EPO. Shabliy’s six-month period of ineligibility began on March 19, 2025, the date his positive sample was collected.”
rEPO, the medical form of EPO, does have medicinal purposes, but has been banned by multiple sporting bodies including WADA. The drug is administered intravenously; Cageside Press has reached out to USADA to clarify the circumstances of Shabliy’s case (story will be updated with any response).
Shabliy (24-4) made it all the way to the final of Bellator MMA’s lightweight grand prix, though the actual finale against Usman Nurmagomedov was essentially a non-tournament fight after the PFL acquired Bellator with the grand prix still ongoing. A former Fight Nights Global and ACB standout, the Russian lightweight joined Bellator in 2021 and notched victories over Bobby King, Brent Primus, and Patricky Pitbull, among others.
