We now know why 2024 PFL flyweight finalist Taila Santos suddenly disappeared from the division’s ongoing bracket last month.
Former UFC contender turned PFL standout Santos was announced this week to have accepted a six-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for a failed drug test, which took place before the bracket started a few months back.
Santos tested positive for oxandrolone in late March, per a press release issued by the company on Wednesday. The test caused her to get pulled from an April 11th booking when PFL started the quarter-final round of their 2025 flyweight bracket.
Under the rules of PFL’s Anti-Doping Policy, the typical failed drug test causes a six-month suspension. Retroactive to the date it was registered, the sanction for Santos is expected to expire in late September.
PFL’s anti-doping policy is notably different from the one UFC operated under during their partnership with USADA. While UFC followed a stricter system that handed out suspensions as long as two years, the typical PFL suspension goes no longer than six months.
The failed drug test derailed what could’ve been a big year for Santos. The experienced Brazilian had a successful debut year in the PFL, slicing through three opponents before losing to Dakota Ditcheva in the flyweight finals. With Ditcheva not competing in the 2025 tournament, Santos was one of the favourites to go all the way in the eight-woman bracket. Instead, she’s now benched for more than half of the year.
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