Alejandra Lara Handed 9-Month Ban After Positive Cocaine Test

Alejandra Lara is looking at nine months on the sidelines. The Nevada Athletic Commission signed off on the ban Wednesday after the former Bellator fighter tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine, following her April loss under the Tuff-N-Uff banner. The suspension runs through Jan. 24, 2027.

The financial side is comparatively modest: a $412.50 fine plus $250.60 in prosecution fees, presented by Deputy Attorney General Mike Detmer as part of an adjudication agreement. If Lara wants to fight in Nevada again, she'll have to submit to additional drug testing before the commission relicenses her.

How She Got Here

Cocaine sits on the prohibited list at all times for combat athletes, so the finding wasn't a gray area. The positive came in the wake of Lara's decision loss to Jaeleen Robledo, her most recent outing on the regional circuit. That's a long way from the promotional spotlight she once occupied.

During her Bellator run, Lara was one of the busier names in the women's flyweight mix. She shared the cage with Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Kana Watanabe, DeAnna Bennett and Juliana Velasquez — the latter now on a UFC roster with a 14-4 record. Lara eventually parted with Bellator and kept fighting on smaller shows.

The takeaway is straightforward. Lara loses roughly three-quarters of a year, absorbs a small hit to the wallet, and adds a testing requirement to any comeback plan. For a fighter who's spent the back half of her career grinding on the regional scene, that layoff is the part that stings.