Taila Santos opens up on doping suspension. Former UFC title challenger and current PFL flyweight contender Taila Santos has finally spoken out after serving a six-month doping suspension.
The Brazilian is set to return to action at PFL Sioux Falls, looking to move past the controversy and refocus on her fighting career.
Santos was originally scheduled to compete in the 2025 PFL flyweight tournament before she was suddenly removed from the bracket. It was later revealed that she tested positive for oxandrolone and clenbuterol, both substances are prohibited under the PFL Anti-Doping Policy.
She explained that her husband is a bodybuilder who uses anabolic supplements, and because both of them receive compounded supplements from the same source, she accidentally took one of his products while rushing out for training.
“My husband is a bodybuilder so he uses anabolic steroids,” Santos said. “We were rushing to go train and we get all our compounded supplements from the same place. In the rush, I ended up taking one of his by mistake.”
Santos described the moment as a difficult chapter in her career but said she used the suspension period to mentally reset, spend time with family, and avoid letting the controversy define her. She also downplayed the long-term damage to her reputation, suggesting that incidents like this are part of the fight game and should be viewed similarly to setbacks such as losses inside the cage.
The flyweight veteran said “it was a very difficult moment” in her career, “but I used that time to get things back in order, especially mentally, and at the same time enjoy my family a bit and not let it affect me.”
“I think it’s something normal in the fight world, it’s part of the game,” Santos said. “How many athletes have already gone through this process, right? It’s like losing a fight. It’s a career incident, it happens.”
I didn’t know who she was,” Santos said. “When I got the offer, it was even hard to find some of her fights and videos to watch. I really had to dig around.”
Santos revealed she was focusing on sharpening her boxing skills when Yan came around and that ended up “fitting perfectly” as the ideal weapon for this kind of match-up.
“I saw that she doesn’t have a very defined style. She’s kind of random,” Santos said. “Some fighters are very strong in boxing or come in looking for takedowns right away. She seems more random. She comes forward throwing overhands, since she’s shorter, and tries to go for some takedowns, but there’s nothing that really stands out as her trademark.”
Rather than dwell on the suspension, Santos appears focused on moving forward.
The former UFC title challenger is now preparing for her comeback fight against Qihui Yan in Sioux Falls, a matchup she says gives her the opportunity to put the controversy behind her and remind fans what she can do inside the cage.
“I didn’t know who she was,” Santos said. “When I got the offer, it was even hard to find some of her fights and videos to watch. I really had to dig around.”Santos revealed she was focusing on sharpening her boxing skills when Yan came around and that ended up “fitting perfectly” as the ideal weapon for this kind of match-up.“I saw that she doesn’t have a very defined style. She’s kind of random,” Santos said. “Some fighters are very strong in boxing or come in looking for takedowns right away. She seems more random. She comes forward throwing overhands, since she’s shorter, and tries to go for some takedowns, but there’s nothing that really stands out as her trademark.”
After reaching the 2024 PFL flyweight final before losing to Dakota Ditcheva, Santos remains one of the more recognizable names in the division despite the setback.
Doping suspensions can easily derail careers, but Santos is framing this chapter as a mistake rather than misconduct.
Now, with her suspension behind her and a return fight on the horizon, all eyes will be on whether she can shift the conversation back to what matters most which is her performances in the cage.
