Kiamran Nabati, Ferrari Fairtex suspended from ONE after testing positive for banned substances

ONE Championship has struck down the hammer on two of its Muay Thai fighters following positive tests for banned substances.   

Kiamran Nabati and Ferrari Fairtex both tested positive for doping. This happened after their bantamweight Muay Thai clash on Friday, January 31, at ONE Friday Fights 95.   

Both athletes failed tests under the ONE Anti-Doping Program, which follows the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).  

On January 31, Nabati scored a first-round knockout against Ferrari. But as a result of testing for banned substances, the #4-ranked contender’s victory has been overturned and ruled as a no contest. He begins to serve a one-year doping ban for showing signs of drostanolone, modafinil, and meldonium.  

Drostanolone is a performance enhancing anabolic steroid used to increase awareness. Meldonium improves stamina and recovery time by increasing blood flow to the muscles.  

This instance isn’t the first doping controversy Nabati has been involved with, either. The Russian striker faced a six-year ban in 2017 from the International Federation of Muaythai Associations after testing positive for clenbuterol as well as a tampering charge.  

He also received another ban dating back to November 2024 after IFMA’s website publicly disclosed a second four-year suspension after testing positive for clenbuterol, drostanolone, and meldonium, and another count of tampering. 

However, he managed to continue his career as a professional. After all, the suspensions in question only related to amateur competition under IFMA. That allowed him to reach ONE Friday Fights in late 2023, where he later secured a main roster contract with ONE Championship.

Ferrari Fairtex gets three-month suspension from ONE Championship

Meanwhile, Thai star Ferrari Fairtex faces a short-term suspension of three months by ONE Championship. He was flagged for two banned substances. His post-fight test showed banned cardiac stimulant heptaminol and octodrine, a stimulant that increases endurance. 

Their samples were collected inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium and were examined by Sweden’s International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM), who have worked with ONE Championship since August 2022. 

IDTM have worked in correlation with Drug Free Sport International since 2018, covering over 300 athletic organizations worldwide in the NFL, NCAA, and the NBA.