Ketlen Vieira Explains Failed Test After Six-Month PFL Suspension

Ketlen Vieira will be sidelined until March 2027. The Brazilian has been suspended for six months after failing a drug test following her PFL debut against featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. The suspension is backdated to the night of the fight, so she will be cleared to compete again on March 22, 2027. The banned substance has not been made public.

Vieira joined PFL less than a month after beating Jacqueline Cavalcanti in her final UFC fight in May, and was quickly booked against Cyborg for August. In that debut she missed weight by seven pounds, citing kidney and stomach pain during the cut, and lost a unanimous decision.

Her explanation

In her statement, Vieira said she did not take anything to gain an edge. She explained that during ten years in the UFC she and her team were extremely careful with supplements and treatments and never had a single incident. After becoming a free agent and leaving that testing pool, she decided to properly treat a knee injury that had never fully healed, taking medication she had avoided while under contract.

According to Vieira, the team stopped all medication as soon as the PFL offer arrived and switched to treatment without drugs. She said she believed enough time had passed before the fight for nothing to show up, and only learned about the positive result afterwards. Because there was no intent to break the rules, she said, PFL gave her six months to make sure everything is in order before her next appearance, and her knee has responded well to the treatment.

Cyborg weighs in

Cyborg reacted on social media by thanking Mike Mazzulli, director of the Mohegan Tribe's Department of Athletic Regulation, for taking drug testing seriously and holding fighters to a high standard. Vieira says her focus now is on staying healthy and preparing for her return.