UFC Releases Official Statement Confirming Pat Healy’s Suspension and Rescinded Bonuses

UFC lightweight Pat Healy recently admitted to testing positive for marijuana use following his UFC 159 victory over Jim Miller on April 27 in New Jersey.

“I would like to start off by apologizing to the UFC, Jim Miller, the MMA community, it’s fans, my family, teammates and coaches for my positive testing for marijuana after my UFC 159 fight with Jim Miller,” Healy said in a prepared statement.

His camp confirmed that Healy was suspended for 90 days, had his fight overturned to a no contest, and had $130,000 in post-fight bonus money rescinded.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board has not commented on the positive drug test, but Zuffa, LLC, owner of the UFC, on Friday issued an official statement on the matter, confirming the sanctions.

“The UFC has been informed by the NJSACB that lightweight Pat Healy tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout against Jim Miller at UFC 159. The NJSACB issued Healy a 90-day suspension retroactive to the date of the event. He must pass a drug test upon completion of the suspension before receiving clearance to compete again. The outcome of his bout against Miller will be changed to a no contest and he will forfeit $130,000 in bonus money from Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night. Miller will keep his Fight of the Night bonus and Bryan Caraway will receive the $65,000 Submission of the Night bonus.

The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. The UFC also fully supports the drug testing efforts of all regulatory agencies including NJSACB. All fighters on the UFC 159 card were drug tested at the event. The results of all positive tests are reported to the official Association of Boxing Commissions record-keeper.”

UPDATE: An MMAWeekly.com source with knowledge of the situation said that the UFC did not try to rescind Healy’s win bonus, which was paid on the night of the fight. The amount of the bonus was not revealed, and New Jersey does not release that information like some state’s do, but Healy made $27,000 to show and another $15,000 to win for his last Strikeforce fight in January.

The UFC holds post-fight “of the night” award bonus checks until drug test results are confirmed, so Healy did not have to return any money, but he will not receive the post-fight award bonus checks.