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.