Thiago Santos and Three Other PFL Fighters Suspended after Positive PED Tests

Professional Fighters League’s 2023 season appears in danger of losing several of its top contenders and biggest names.

On Tuesday, MMA Fighting reported that Thiago Santos, Krzysztof Jotko, Bruno Cappelozza and Rizvan Kuniev had tested positive for undisclosed banned substances after their fights in the PFL light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. The fighters have been temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission pending full hearings in the next few days.

The The promotion addressed the situation in a statement that acknowledged the suspensions and announced significant changes to the 2023 Regular Season without mentioning names.

“PFL has been notified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that several fighters who competed in two PFL 2023 Regular Season events this past April have been temporarily suspended until further review by the Commission. The PFL has a zero-tolerance policy related to the usage of banned substances and complies with U.S. State Athletic Commission requirements. Further, as the PFL moves towards the highest level of testing and compliance in the sport, PFL is engaged with USADA on the implementation of its athlete anti-doping program. This Friday PFL will release final fight cards for the second half of the 2023 PFL Regular Season, including alternative fighters, matchups, league standings, and point system update.”

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship 205-pound title challenger Santos (22-12, 0-1 PFL) is currently expected to clash with Mohammad Fakhreddine at PFL 4 on June 8. In his PFL debut, the Brazilian dropped a unanimous decision to returning titleholder and fellow UFC veteran Rob Wilkinson. The latest victory by “Marreta” dates back to October 2021, when he upended Johnny Walker by unanimous decision. That win snapped a three-bout skid and was followed by three more consecutive losses.

Jotko (24-7, 0-1 PFL) was edged out by Will Fleury in a narrow split decision at 2023 PFL 1 and had been attached to a clash with Ty Flores. In their first outings of the season, 2021 heavyweight champion Cappelozza stopped Matheus Scheffel with punches in the first round while Kuniev (12-2-1, 1-0 PFL) defeated Renan Ferreira by unanimous decision. Cappelozza and Kuniev have no assignments at the moment of writing, as PFL had not yet announced the next round of heavyweight matchups when the reports surfaced.