Doping problems continue in the WWE this week, as 2022 heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson is the latest fighter to test positive for banned substances.
Wilkinson tested positive for an unspecified substance after a drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, according to multiple reports. Alex Buhonen MMA Mania He was the first to report the news.
The NSAC oversaw the PFL 1 through 3 Cards of the Year, which took place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Wilkinson, 31, defeated Thiago Santos at Pro Football League 1 in April, winning by unanimous decision. Santos also tested positive after the fight, taking clomiphene, a hormone modulator that causes the body to increase the production of testosterone, which is in his system.
Wilkinson was expected to face Australian Ty Flores (who was replacing Will Fleury, who also tested positive for banned substances after a Las Vegas stint in the PFL) at PFL 4 on 8 June. Wilkinson will now be replaced by Dan Spoon.
In total, 10 fighters tested positive for banned substances after Las Vegas performances in the PFL in April. In addition to Wilkinson, Santos and Fleury, former PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cabelosa, former UFC superstars Krzysztof Gutko, Alejandro Flores, Daniel Torres, Cesar Ferreira, Muhammad Fakhruddin and Razvan Konev have also been flagged for banned substances by the NSAC.
Kapellosa had already accepted a nine-month suspension, while Gutko was forced to sit out six months. The other combatants’ cases have been moved to June, and they have been temporarily suspended as the adjudication process for the case begins.
In response to this year’s doping debacle, the league entered into discussions with the United States Anti-Doping Agency regarding USADA oversight of year-round drug testing of NFL athletes. Currently, the UFC competitor employs the organization to oversee its anti-doping program.
The league’s next event is PFL 4 on June 8, 2023 at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.