Not every Dana White Contender Series story has a happy ending.
Thirteen months after winning his way onto the UFC’s featherweight roster with a TKO victory over Robbie Ring, Luis Pajuelo has been suspended from competition for 24 months and released from his contract with the No. 1 promotion in the sport.
Pajuelo, 29, suffered a loss in March via submission from a D’Arce choke against Fernando Padilla in the former’s UFC main roster debut.
The native of Peru, who has an 8-2 record as a professional, hadn’t had a second fight scheduled but was ordered to submit a sample as a part of the out-of-competition drug testing process in August. He was tested a second time two weeks later, and the results were positive for the presence of 19-norandrosterone and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS).
According to a press release from Combat Sports Anti-Doping that was published on UFC.com, the “analysis reflected values consistent with the exogenous origin of testosterone and its metabolites, both anabolic steroids that are prohibited at all times.”
Pajuelo admitted to using deca-durabolin (nandrolone) leading up to these sample collections. Because of the severity of Pajuelo’s situation, it is unlikely any commission will license him to compete before the end of his suspension.
According to the statement, this punishment will almost certainly stop him from fighting anywhere in the United States, Canada, and most of Europe.
Deca-Durabolin can help increase muscle mass and strength and speed up a fighter’s recovery from injury and workouts. Fighters looking to gain an unfair advantage may take this steroid to overcome an injury quickly, assist in cutting weight, or increase their stamina ahead of a fight.
The drug also carries notable risks like heart problems. The drug can remain in a human’s system for more than a year. Many tests can detect the metabolites during that time.
It’s unclear when Pajuelo began taking the banned substances.
Other UFC News
On Saturday, the promotion takes to the Delta Center for UFC 307. Two world titles will be on the line as Alex Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event.
In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington defends her women’s bantamweight title against former champion Julianna Pena. Also on the card, Jose Aldo continues his second-life performance in the UFC as he takes on Mario Bautista.
Hard-charging contender Kayla Harrison is likely one win away from getting her title shot. On Saturday, she will take on Ketlen Viera.
Here is a look at the entire UFC 307 card and the viewing information.
- Date: Saturday, October 5
- Time: 6:30 pm ET (Early Prelims), 8 pm ET (Prelims) and 10 pm ET (Main Card)
- Location: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
- TV/Stream: Early Prelims on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass, Prelims on ESPN+, Main Card on ESPN+ PPV
Full UFC 307 Card
UFC 307 Main Card
- Alex Pereira (C) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. – UFC Men’s Light Heavyweight Championship
- Raquel Pennington (C) vs. Julianna Peña – UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship
- José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
- Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison
- Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland
UFC 307 Prelims
- Stephen Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley
- Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucindo
- Austin Hubbard vs. Alexander Hernandez
- Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
UFC 307 Early Prelims
- Ryan Spann vs. Ovince Saint Preux
- Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
- Court McGee vs. Tim Means
Every fighter on the card successfully made weight. Stay tuned for post-event coverage.
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