The UFC’s third-party anti-doping partner, USADA, suspended former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion B.J. Penn six months, the agency announced Monday in a press release. Penn admitted use of an IV in an out-of-competition drug test performed by USADA on March 25. The suspension is retroactive to that date, meaning Penn will be able to return to action on Sept. 25 of this year.
IVs have been banned under the UFC’s anti-doping policy since Oct. 1, 2015.
According to USADA’s release, “a subsequent investigation by USADA revealed that the intravenous infusion received by Penn was administered in a volume greater than 50 mL within a 6 hour period.