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UFC women's strawweight Jessica Penne was suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for two types of stanozolol metabolites during an out-of-competition drug test in April 2019.
Penne was popped for 16β-hydroxystanozolol and 3′-hydroxystanozolol, two types of substances that are banned under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. The California native was originally suspended for four years after she was deemed a repeat offender.
After her unanimous decision loss against Danielle Taylor, Penne incurred her first USADA violation. She served an anti-doping 18-month suspension and was supposed to return in 2019 against Jodie Esquibel. However, Penne was forced to withdraw from the bout after she suffered an injury on fight day.
But Penne's misfortune continued when it was announced that she had failed a second USADA test shortly after her matchup against Esquibel was canceled. Penne, as a result, was sanctioned with a four-year suspension.
Jessica Penne's redemption arc
Jessica Penne caught a break when her four-year ban from active competition was reduced to 20 months. The decision to overturn her sentence came after Penne successfully proved that she wasn't intentionally trying to cheat. The UFC women's strawweight explained that she was prescribed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by her doctor – an explanation that USADA had accepted.
Earlier this year, Penne returned to action in the octagon for the first time since April 2017. She faced Lupita Godinez at UFC Vegas 24 and came away with a split decision nod to end her three-fight losing streak.
Jessica Penne made her second UFC appearance of 2021 at UFC 265. Looking impressive as ever, the 34-year-old dominated fellow contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz to earn her second consecutive win.
Penne and Kowalkiewicz engaged in a grappling battle on the ground. Penne wasted no time looking for submissions once the fight shifted to the mat. After several attempts, the American finally locked in an armbar, forcing Kowalkiewicz to tap out at the 4:32 mark of the opening round.
After the win, an emotional Jessica Penne expressed how happy she is to finally be competing in the octagon once again. Penne added that she's confident she can out-grapple any opponent on the ground.
“I love the ground,” Penne said in her post-fight interview. “If anybody wants to go to the ground with me, I invite it. I’ve always admired and respected her. I’m so grateful to grace the octagon with her.”
