Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos Suspended 1 Year After Testing Positive for Ostarine

UFC welterweight Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos has been suspended for one year by USADA after failing an out-of-competition drug test.

The 35-year-old Brazilian tested positive for ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator, on April 8. MMAFighting.com was first to report the positive test, which has not been yet been formally announced by USADA. Zaleski denies knowingly taking the banned substance, blaming the result on a contaminated supplement.

While Zaleski’s manager, Tiago Okamura, told MMAFighting that even though the supplement in question was identified, the compounding pharmacy that produced it denied responsiblility. As a result, dos Santos was unable to secure a reduced suspension from USADA.

“The talks with Elizeu and the doctor went as expected but the pharmacy denied compounding ostarine and later questioned the tested sample and even the packaging it was sent to the lab in,” Okamura wrote in a statement. “With the pharmacy denying the results and the fact they mixed ostarine we came to a standstill, Elizeu’s and the doctor’s word against the pharmacy’s word.

“Unfortunately, there is no reason for the pharmacy to admit their mistake to USADA since they have no jurisdiction over any Brazilian pharmacy and especially because ostarine is no longer a legal substance and its compounding has been prohibited by ANVISA (Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency). After almost six months of fighting to clear his name with USADA and reduce his suspension, we are now stuck. We did everything that was requested but we cannot make the pharmacy comply.”

Zaleski’s positive test forced him to withdraw from a proposed bout against Mounir Lazzez on April 16. He will be eligible to compete again in April 2023. Other UFC athletes who have tested positive for ostarine in the past include Sean O'Malley, Marvin Vettori, Ovince St. Preux, Amanda Ribas and Diego Sanchez, among others. Zaleski is 9-3 in the Las Vegas-based promotion and last appeared at UFC 267, where he took a lopsided unanimous decision triumph over Benoit St. Denis in October 2021.