UFC releases statement on latest drug case, PFL gets cryptic about Kayla Harrison's exit, Joe Rogan-founded company gets sued: MMA News Roundup
UFC recently released a statement on Khalil Rountree Jr.'s drug violation. Meanwhile, a company co-founded by Joe Rogan has been sued by a customer.
Get to know the latest in the world of combat sports from Sportskeeda MMA's News Roundup.
UFC releases statement on Khalil Rountree Jr.
Last week, Khalil Rountree Jr. revealed on social media that he was out of UFC 303 after unknowingly consuming a banned substance. He was supposed to fight Jamahal Hill in the co-main event of the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler card.
He reached out to the anti-doping authorities when he found out that he was sent a tainted product by his health supplement associate brand and provided a sample two days after.
UFC announced in a statement dated May 22, 2024, that Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) reviewed the case and suspended Rountree Jr. for two months for the violation. The statement read:
"CSAD has determined that Rountree’s actions after he determined the error, and the evidence of this case, fit these criteria, and thus CSAD is reducing the sanction against Rountree to 2 months."
Read the full statement here.
The punishment was considerably lesser than the norm given Rountree Jr.'s constant cooperation in the matter.
PFL brass addresses Kayla Harrison's exit
PFL chairman and co-founder Donn Davis recently appeared on the WEIGHING IN podcast and expressed his thoughts on Kayla Harrison leaving the company.
Speaking with John McCarthy and Josh Thomson, Davis drew a comparison with LeBron James and Kevin Durant to explain his sentiments about Harrison's departure:
"It's interesting. Some people at the very top of their career are LeBron James and some at the very top of their career are Kevin Durant and and they're both otherworldly basketball players but who they are is very different as people.
"One wants to lead and change their sport and wherever they are is the best of the world. The other is a follower who needs validation and we couldn't do anything about that.''
Harrison debuted at UFC 300 with a stellar win against veteran Holly Holm.
Davis also addressed the recent allegations by Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima, who accused the PFL of not booking fights for them.
Check out Donn Davis' comments below from 29:40:
Company co-founded by Joe Rogan in legal trouble
A health supplement company co-founded by Joe Rogan was recently sued due to allegations brought by a disgruntled customer.
A complaint was filed on April 23 against Onnit Labs Inc.'s product Alpha BRAIN, accusing the brand of "false, misleading and deceptive advertising", as per The Independent. The product is seemingly a nootropic supplement meant to improve brain processing, memory, and concentration.
The suit claims that the product performed no better than a placebo in most of the tests in a clinical study, and in many cases, the placebo did a better job. Onnit, co-founded by Rogan, was sold to Unilever in 2021. Therefore, there is no mention of the UFC commentator as defendants in the complaint.
However, Rogan has promoted the product on his The Joe Rogan Experience podcast multuple times, including dismissing the claim that it has placebo effect.