Jessica Penne has been flagged by USADA after re-analysis of a sample that was previously cleared. It is the first time that USADA has identified a UFC fighter based on a re-analysis based upon by the contents of a biological passport.
Penne, who lost her last fight in April, is facing a potential UFC anti-doping policy violation due to a prohibited substance detected in a March 20th out-of-competition sample.
A biological passport tracks a variety of biomarkers after sample collection. USADA began to compile this on UFC athletes it tested since the inception of the program in 2015. A biomarker is an objective measure that is evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention. It allows an agency like USADA to evaluate an athlete’s levels of specific blood and hormonal values over time and determine if there are changes. Penne’s sample was flagged for further analysis “due to an increased degree of variability in urinary biomarkers.” The re-analysis revealed a prohibited substance.
Payout Perspective:
It is unknown what the prohibited substance may be but the re-analysis based on the biological passport is a reminder that USADA continues to track your profile over time. Here, it appears that Penne would have not been flagged had it been her first test with the UFC. But, over time, one could see a change. We will see what this possibly could mean for the 34 year old fighter.
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