Jessica Penne has USADA suspension reduced from 4 years to 20 months for second violation

Jessica Penne will be able to return to fighting sooner than initially expected.

The former Invicta FC champion and UFC title challenger received a reduction to her second U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suspension. The news was announced by USADA on Friday.

Penne (12-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) originally was suspended for four years after failing an out-of-competition drug test provided on April 2019, testing positive for two metabolites of stanozolol – 16β-hydroxystanozolol and 3′-hydroxystanozolol. Both substances are prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.

But due to determine she wasn’t intentionally looking to cheat when she committed her first violation, as well as her participation in discussions with USADA in her second violation, USADA reduced Penne’s suspension from four years to 20 months.

The suspension is retroactive from April 8, 2019, the date her positive sample was collected. That means Penne will be able to return to competition on Dec. 8.

The 37-year-old fighter most recently competed in 2017 and dropped a unanimous decision to Danielle Taylor.