PFL’s Alexandr Shabliy Suspended 6 Months for Anti-Doping Violation

Professional Fighters League lightweight Alexandr Shabliy has accepted a six-month suspension for a failed drug test, USADA announced on Wednesday.

Shabliy tested positive recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) in an out-of-competition sample collected on March 19. EPO is a synthetic hormone that increases the body’s production of red blood cells, which as a result improves oxygen transport and aerobic power. It’s the same substance that former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw tested positive for in 2019, which resulted in him serving a two-year suspension.

Shabliy’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his positive test, so he will be eligible to return to action on Sept. 19. The 32-year-old Russian was slated to face Brent Primus in the opening round of the PFL lightweight tournament before the failed drug test.

Shabliy’s last appearance came at Bellator Champions Series San Diego, where he dropped a five-round verdict against Usman Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title tilt. That snapped a nine-bout winning streak for “Peresvet,” who owns victories over the likes of Patricky Freire, Tofiq Musayev, Primus and Adriano Martins.