Ex-BKFC champion Lorenzo Hunt was issued an 18-month suspension along with a $40,000 fine after he returned a positive drug test for a banned substance and elevated levels of testosterone surrounding his fight at BKFC KnuckleMania 4 in April.
Hunt’s punishment was handed down during a monthly meeting with the commission in June.
In addition to his 18-month suspension and $40,000 fine, which was 40 percent of Hunt’s $100,000 fight purse, he also has to pay $500 for the drug test and provide the commission with six negative full WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) panel drug tests at his expense before he’s cleared to fight in the state again.
According to documentation provided by the California State Athletic Commission to MMA Fighting, Hunt tested positive for trenbolone metabolite epitrenbolone — an anabolic steroid — and elevated testosterone levels at a ratio of 172, which is greater than the conventional threshold of 4.
As a result, Hunt requested an appeal, which led to a hearing before the commission in June, but the 41-year-old fighter failed to make an appearance. In the end, the commission ultimately handed down the suspension, fines and additional stipulations required before returning to compete again in California.
After claiming titles across multiple divisions in BKFC, Hunt relinquished his belts for the chance to go up to heavyweight challenge champion Mick Terrill.
The fight did not go his way with Hunt suffering an injury less than two minutes into the opening round, which led to a TKO victory for Terrill. The win for Terrill obviously still stands regardless of Hunt’s drug testing results.
Hunt hasn’t addressed the suspension publicly yet, but he’ll be forced to sit out until at least October 2025 before he’ll be eligible to compete again based on the suspension handed down by the commission.