MMA legend BJ Penn’s Octagon comeback is no longer scheduled for next month’s UFC 199 pay-per-view.
After initially being booked to fight Dennis Siver, only to have Siver pull out and Cole Miller fill-in on short-notice, Penn will no longer be fighting at all at the June 4th event.
BJ Penn has been flagged by USADA and provisionally suspended for a “potential Anti-Doping Policy violation.”
UFC issued the following statement on the matter (via UFC.com):
“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.”
Penn issued the following statement on his official website, BJPenn.com:
“I voluntarily disclosed to USADA that during a non-fight period that I had an IV administered under the care of a doctor.
“The rule for IV usage had changed since my last fight in the UFC and was unaware of the change and voluntarily disclosed the information to USADA. I had no idea that IV use was banned 365 days a year.
“At no time in my career in martial arts have I ever doped and anticipate all test results from USADA will come back clean and will be working with the UFC to get the matter cleared up and return to fight as soon as possible.”
