Female UFC Fighter Suspended 26 Years By Italian Anti-Doping Agency
One of the longest suspensions you’ll ever see has just been handed out to Italian UFC female fighter Mara Romero Borella. Borella is the first female Italian UFC fighter to win in the promotion.
Borella and her boyfriend, a rugby player by the name of Filippo Maserati, were charged with drug trafficking following a two-year investigation that was entitled “Operation Flanker.”
31 others were also charged in the ordeal, which accused the participants of selling cannabis and cocaine at sporting events, bars, and nightclubs. Borella was said to have distributed the narcotics at her gym.
Back in 2012, it was said that some of the defendants agreed to plea deals that included one to four years of jail time. Mara, being a professional athlete, was also suspended by the Italian Olympic Committee for 15 years. That suspension was initially up in 2029.
However, Mara continued to compete and trained in Italian sporting facilities. As a result, the Italian Anti-Doping Agency has given Mara an additional 15 years to her suspension. It will now be up in June of the year 2044.
The UFC, however, is not required to follow this suspension, but it’s unclear what – if anything – the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) will do in regards to the matter.
