Ketlen Vieira Suspended Six Months After Positive Steroid Test Post-Cyborg Fight

Ketlen Vieira Faces Six-Month Suspension Following Positive Drug Test

Almost two months after Cris Cyborg earned her 30th mixed martial arts victory, she finds the details around her August 22 fight against fellow Brazilian Ketlen Vieira in Tampa, Florida, quite unusual.

Vieira weighed in over seven pounds above the limit, turning what was meant to be Cyborg's final Professional Fighters League (PFL) title defense into a non-title match. This situation has become more complicated after Vieira tested positive for a steroid substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), according to Mike Mazzulli, director of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation.

Details of the Positive Test and Suspension

Mazzulli confirmed to Sherdog.com that both the A and B samples from Vieira’s in-competition drug test showed the same adverse result. He did not specify the exact banned substance but stated Vieira was handed a six-month suspension effective from the date of the fight.

"Thank you to Mike Mazzulli and everyone involved in maintaining a serious testing program," Cyborg said. "I believe clean sport deserves strong enforcement."

Vieira was notified about the positive test and placed under provisional suspension while awaiting the B sample results.

The Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation took over as the PFL’s anti-doping partner in 2025, replacing the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Previously, this body managed Bellator MMA’s drug testing.

Neither Vieira’s representatives nor those from PFL or the Florida Athletic Commission, which regulated the event, have responded to requests for comment.

Context of the Fight and Weight Issues

This bout was initially scheduled to be Cyborg’s first defense of her PFL women’s featherweight title. The 41-year-old champion claimed the belt last year by defeating Australian Sara Collins. Vieira, meanwhile, had spent nearly ten years competing in the UFC with a 10-5 record before her contract ended in May without renewal.

Three months after beating Jacqueline Cavalcanti in her last UFC fight, Vieira was set to challenge Cyborg for the PFL title in Florida. However, missing weight by more than seven pounds forced the fight to be changed to a non-title contest at 153 pounds. Cyborg, who made the championship weight, agreed to keep the main event on the card.

"I still accepted the fight and stepped into the cage knowing I would be giving up a significant physical advantage," Cyborg admitted.

Vieira told MMAFighting.com that intense kidney and stomach pain before weigh-ins prevented her from making the featherweight limit.

"Ketlen, I respect you," Cyborg said. "I know what it takes to step into that cage. I wish you nothing but success moving forward. I know fighters can face difficult circumstances during a fight camp. I have no interest in attacking her personally."

Cyborg Reflects on Her Career and Future Plans

After enduring five rounds against a notably strong opponent, Cyborg felt proud enough of her effort to rethink retirement. She remains unbeaten for nearly eight years since losing the UFC featherweight title to Amanda Nunes and plans to fight twice more in MMA plus one boxing match.

The PFL still holds the right to match any contract Cyborg signs, but once that period ends, she will become an unrestricted free agent.

"My career has not been perfect, and I never tried to hide from my past," Cyborg said. "In 2011, I had a positive test for a banned substance, served my suspension, accepted responsibility for what was in my body, and made major changes to the way I managed my team and supplements. Since then, I have competed under the most rigorous testing programs in MMA, including testing overseen by Mike Mazzulli, and I have continued to pass those tests."

She added, "That is why I believe strict, independent testing is important. It protects the fighters, the sport, and the legacy we work our entire lives to build."