BenRothwell_Headshot2012
Ben Rothwell

It was announced that the UFC has suspended heavyweight Ben Rothwell for nine months after it was revealed that he had elevated levels of testosterone after his UFC 164 bout with Brandon Vera.

Rothwell had applied for and received an exemption through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. Even with the exemption he still tested with higher than allowed.  It is being reported that the authorities in Wisconsin penalized Rothwell with an administrative warning. The UFC has decided that was not enough and put the nine month suspension on the table for Rothwell.

As it stands now because of the action taken by Wisconsin the victory will remain intact on Rothwell’s record. It would be common for other jurisdictions to overturn the win to a no contest.

In a statement made to MMAJunkie.com Rothwell apologized to his fans, friends and family. He explained why the testosterone therapy was necessary, citing hypogonadism that he was diagnosed with after a car accident in 1999.

Rothwell turned up the heat in the third round against Vera and after his win called out Travis Browne. Browne has already been assigned Josh Barnett and Rothwell will be out for the next nine months and must pass an additional test at the conclusion to be cleared.

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