BJJ star Renato Canuto, opponent flagged for drug tests after MMA bout

Renato Canuto faces a hiccup in pursuit of crossover greatness.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu star who crossed into MMA in May 2025, Canuto (4-0) is four-for-four in pro fights – but one of those wins may be coming back. The Nevada Athletic Commission confirmed at a monthly meeting Wednesday that Canuto has been temporarily suspended after testing positive for modafinil, a prohibited stimulant, in his drug test surrounding a sub-two-minute TKO win over Dylan Aparis at Tuff-N-Uff 152 on March 13.

The NAC revealed Aparis (2-3) also tested positive, resulting in a temporary suspension. His urinalysis detected the presence of exogenously-administered testosterone metabolites.

Prior to Wednesday's confirmation by the commission, Canuto announced the news of the failure himself in an Instagram post. He denied knowingly taking any performance-enhancing substance.

"I want to address the recent notice of my temporary suspension issued by the Nevada Athletic Commission following a drug test related to my March 13, 2026 bout," Canuto wrote. "The test identified the presence of modafinil and its metabolite. I want to be clear: I do not dispute these findings, and I fully accept the Commission's process and any outcome that follows. I have notified the Nevada Commission in writing today that However, it is very important to me to state that I never knowingly or intentionally used any banned substance, nor did I seek to gain any unfair advantage.

"Based on my own review and subsequent information, I believe the result was caused by a dietary supplement I had previously used. Like many athletes, I rely on supplements to support training and recovery, and made what I believed were careful and responsible choices-reviewing labels and relying on representations on the company's website that the product was compliant with anti-doping standards. This even included an World Anti-Doping Agency logo on the website. Unfortunately, it now appears that the product may have contained a compound related to modafinil that was not clearly disclosed.

"I have underwent multiple tests in the course of my career after winning my world titles and previous MMA bouts. I take full responsibility for what I put into my body. This experience has reinforced how critical it is to go beyond labels and marketing claims when it comes to supplements. I have learned from this and will implement stricter safeguards moving forward. I also want to emphasize that the supplement in question was taken days before my fight, and | had no intent whatsoever to enhance my performance improperly.