UFC strawweight Jessica Penne flagged for anti-doping violation

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight Jessica Penne was back in action last month (April 22, 2017) as part of the UFC Fight Night 108: "Swanson vs. Lobov" mixed martial arts (MMA) event on FOX Sports 1, which took place inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Following the bout, Penne was popped by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for an out-of-competition sample collected on March 20, which returned a couple of red flags on her Biological Passport.

The official explanation comes by way of UFC.com:

Penne’s sample, having undergone the standard out-competition analysis menu, was initially reported to USADA as negative. However, upon review of Penne’s Athlete Biological Passport, the sample was subsequently flagged for additional analysis due to an increased degree of variability in urinary biomarkers measured in the sample. As a result of that further analysis, the presence of a prohibited substance was detected. Before the reanalysis was completed, Penne fought at the UFC Fight Night event in Nashville on April 22, 2017.

Penne (12-5) dropped a unanimous decision to Danielle Taylor.

The loss marked her third straight since making her Octagon debut at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 20 finale. The former Invicta atomweight champion will be afforded “a full and fair legal process before any sanctions are imposed,” but could be facing penalties from both USADA and Tennessee Athletic Commission.

Stay tuned.