UFC flyweight Cortney Casey is facing a 4-month suspension after self-reporting the use of a non-approved substance.
According to an announcement from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Casey (10-10 MMA, 6-9 UFC) self-reported the use of a prohibited substance, BPC-157, on June 21, 2023. The substance is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping policy, but Casey was unaware of the classification when prescribed and provided BPC-157 by a doctor for a medical condition.
Due to admitting her use and coming forward with documentation supporting her claim, Casey was eligible for a reduction in the period of her ineligibility to compete.
The full statement reads as follows:
USADA announced today that Cortney Casey, of Glendale, Ariz., has accepted a four-month sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.
Casey, 36, self-reported the use of a prohibited substance, BPC-157, to the UFC on June 21, 2023. BPC-157 is a Specified Substance in the class of Non-Approved Substances and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.
Casey immediately provided documentation confirming that she was prescribed and provided BPC-157 by a doctor to help treat a medical condition. After using the substance for a short period of time, she learned that BPC-157 is a prohibited substance and came forward about her use to the UFC. A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) was not applicable to this Non-Approved Substance. Casey was eligible for a reduction to the period of ineligibility based on her forthright declaration and for her Full and Complete Cooperation.
Casey’s four-month period of ineligibility began on June 1, 2023, the approximate date that she last used the prohibited substance.
BPC-157 is not eligible for a TUE because it is not an approved therapeutic agent in any country, according to the USADA website. It is described as an experimental compound that has been investigated for inflammatory bowel disease and soft tissue healing, but the substance lacks published clinical trial data.
Casey was last in action at UFC on ESPN 39 last July, where she lost a split decision against Antonina Shevchenko. She was scheduled to face Jasmine Jasudavicius in February, but withdrew from the contest beforehand.
Casey’s period of ineligibility is set to expire on Oct. 1, 2023, since her period of ineligibility is retroactive to the approximate date she last used the non-approved substance.
