That BJ Penn’s potential comeback fight is being scuttled should not come as a surprise. The guy is 37, hadn’t fought since 2014, and has been under investigation for alleged sexual assault. There was a lot going against him. But the reason for Penn’s comeback fight being put on hold is quite interesting.
Penn is under suspension by USADA — the US Anti-Doping Agency, which the UFC partnered with to oversee drug testing — for a potential violation. Not an actual violation, mind you, but a potential violation.
Penn was flagged for using too much fluid in an IV during an out-of-competition sample on March 25.
From the UFC’s website:
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed BJ Penn of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation. Penn disclosed the usage of a prohibited method – the use of an IV in excess of 50 ML in a six-hour period – during a March 25, 2016, out-of-competition sample collection. In accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, Penn has received a provisional suspension, and has been removed from his scheduled bout against Cole Miller on June 4 in Los Angeles.
“UFC will announce a replacement opponent for Miller shortly, and additional information will be provided by USADA and UFC at the appropriate time as the process involving Penn moves forward.”
The provisional suspension has many in the MMA community up in arms complaining. Many are wondering how USADA has the power to suspend someone for just using too much of an IV but not actually testing positive. The answer is USADA does not allow excess IV fluid because they believe fighters use it to mask PED use. This type of reasoning may make sense but it is certainly murky in a country where the foundation of our legal system is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Penn accepting the provisional suspension and having his fight called off, however, leads me to wonder if there is more to this story. Did the UFC just not want to deal with a scandal if Penn were later proven to have tested positive for a banned substance following the fight? Or between this and the charge that he committed sexual assault the UFC just decided it had had enough? Who knows, but this also says something more about the UFC.
The UFC bringing in USADA to clean up the sport or at least the public image of it, plus pulling the plug on the Penn fight altogether, shows how conservative this previously reckless company has become. And if that’s not all to present a more attractive company to potential buyers (think staging a home while listing it for sale), then I don’t know what is going on.
