A UFC flyweight hasn’t yet made his promotional debut, but he already has been handed disciplinary action for a failed drug test.
Former LFA flyweight champion Felipe Bunes was suspended six months and issued a $326 fine (for prosecution fees) at a Nevada Athletic Commission monthly meeting Tuesday after he tested positive for GW1516, a prohibited metabolic modulator. He will be eligible to return Dec 7.
Bunes (13-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) signed with the UFC in June for a short-notice replacement opportunity vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC on ESPN 47. The bout was scrapped days later when Bunes submitted a urinalysis and tested positive.
Days after the positive test, Bunes went public with the information and voiced his willingness to navigate the situation with the commission.
Hi everyone. My fight has been cancelled due to a drug test subject to further analysis. I have provided all the necessary information and I hope to have all this sorted out in the coming days so I can fight soon.
Thank you.
— Felipinho Bunes (@BunesFelipinho) June 16, 2023
Bunes, 33, won three of the four fights previous to his UFC signing. From 2018-2021, Bunes was a staple of Russian promotion ACA (formerly known as ACB). He trains alongside the Pitbull Brothers in Brazil but has also spent time at Fight Ready in Scottsdale, Ariz.