The Nevada Athletic Commission has suspended former Bellator fighter Alejandra Lara for nine months and fined her following a positive test for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine, detected after her April loss at Tuff-N-Uff. The suspension runs through January 24, 2027, and Lara was also assessed $412.50 in fines and $250.60 in prosecution fees. She will be required to undergo additional drug testing before she can be relicensed to compete in Nevada.
The Nevada Athletic Commission has handed Colombian fighter Alejandra Lara a nine-month suspension after she tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine, following her April bout at a Tuff-N-Uff event. The ban runs through January 24, 2027, and carries financial penalties of $412.50 in fines along with $250.60 in prosecution fees.
Lara, a veteran of the Bellator women's bantamweight division, now faces a lengthy period on the sidelines before she can return to competition in Nevada. Beyond serving the suspension, she will be required to pass additional drug testing as a condition of being relicensed by the commission.
Why it matters
- The ban effectively keeps Lara out of action into early 2027, a significant interruption for any fighter looking to rebuild momentum after a loss.
- The mandatory pre-relicensing drug testing adds another layer of scrutiny she must clear before she can compete in the state again.
- Tuff-N-Uff, which operates as a development and regional circuit, falls under Nevada Athletic Commission oversight, meaning its athletes are subject to the same anti-doping enforcement applied to major promotions in the state.
- The fine and prosecution fees, while modest, signal that the commission pursued the case through a formal process rather than settling informally.
Benzoylecgonine is a well-documented marker for cocaine use and is among the substances prohibited under standard athletic commission anti-doping rules. Because the positive sample was linked to her April appearance, the suspension is calculated from that period, with the commission setting the end date at January 24, 2027. Her path back to the cage in Nevada now depends on both completing the suspension and satisfying the additional testing requirements the commission has put in place.
