Doctor who gave IVs to UFC's Paulo Costa gets two-year USADA suspension

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Monday a rare non-athlete sanction related to its UFC partnership.

The company revealed Dr. Lucas Penchel, based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the USADA-UFC policy by providing intravenous infusions to UFC middleweight Paulo Costa, as well as his brother, Carlos Costa, in 2017.

Although the IVs consisted of “permitted substances,” the amounts administered on the particular dates were over the allowable limit of more than 50 mL per six-hour period. Both Costa brothers were issued six-month suspensions stemming from the IVs in April 2019.

“Dr. Penchel, like all athlete support personnel, was entrusted to help athletes make safe and informed decisions, but instead, he violated anti-doping rules and his oath to best protect athletes’ health and safety,” USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart stated.

According to a USADA release, Penchel was found to have authorized and encouraged the use of the IV on June 2, 2017 (prior to UFC 212) and Nov. 3, 2017 (prior to UFC 217).

The company detailed its findings:

In 2017, IV infusions and/or injections of more than 50 mL per 6-hour period were prohibited except for those legitimately received in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures, or clinical investigations under the UFC ADP. The UFC ADP has since been amended and now prohibits IV infusions and/or injections of more than 100 mL per 12-hour period with the added exception of those determined to be medically justified and within the standard of care by a licensed physician and administered by a licensed medical professional. Applying the current rules, the 2017 infusions remain in violation of the UFC ADP.

During its investigation, USADA learned that Dr. Penchel recommended and prescribed the 2017 prohibited IV infusions..

Penchel’s two-year period of ineligibility began on March 17 of this year. The sanction bans him from working with fighters as manager, coach, trainer, second, corner man, agent, or medical personnel.