UFC lifts suspension of Travis Browne; releases statement on domestic violence allegations

The temporary suspension of UFC heavyweight fighter Travis Browne has officially been lifted after allegations of domestic violence were made against him by his wife Jenna Renee Webb.

The mixed martial arts promotion released an official statement Friday concerning what they've learned following a comprehensive seven-week investigation which ultimately provided "inconclusive evidence" to further punish the 17-3-1 fighter:

PUBLIC SUMMARY RE: BROWNE INVESTIGATION

In an effort to provide the public with additional information regarding UFC’s investigation of allegations of domestic violence by Travis Browne, while honoring the competing interest of protecting the privacy rights of all the individuals who voluntarily cooperated in the investigation, UFC provides the following summary:

Upon learning of the posting of photographs on social media on or about July 8, 2015 by an individual reflecting bruises on their person and corresponding commentary that Travis Browne had committed the acts resulting in the bruising, UFC, through the Las Vegas-based law firm Campbell & Williams, began efforts to retain a third party to conduct a thorough, independent investigation into this matter. In mid-July, Campbell & Williams retained a private investigator with more than 25 years of experience as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation operating out of the Los Angeles Field Office and as a Special Inspector General for the United States of America. The investigator has overseen countless investigations involving thousands of witnesses and subject interviews.

As part of his nearly two-month investigation into the Browne matter, the investigator and his colleagues interviewed nearly a dozen individuals located in several states. The interviewees included the principals of the investigation, former spouses, individuals with close personal relationships, and health-care professionals. Additionally, the investigator obtained various forms of electronic data reflecting interactions of the principals with each other and third parties. The investigation also included electronic and hand searches for relevant civil and criminal records, law enforcement service-call records, and the like.

Based on the abundant evidence gathered to date, the results of the investigation are inconclusive to support the claims of alleged domestic violence involving Browne. Similarly, the evidence was inconclusive to support a finding that Browne had violated the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. The evidence gathered in the investigation has also been reviewed by Donald J. Campbell, Esq. of Campbell & Williams, a former state and federal prosecutor with extensive experience overseeing criminal investigations, who likewise concurs that the results of the investigation are inconclusive.

Webb, who is currently going through a divorce with Browne, posted a series of images on Instagram over a month ago showing bruises on her face, arm, and leg, which she implied were caused by her husband.

Browne's manager John Fosco told MMAFighting.com shortly thereafter that his client was innocent. He also mentioned that he was excited UFC was looking into the matter "because domestic violence is an extremely serious issue and this is something that should be investigated regardless of who is in involved."

Browne's last fight in the Octagon was at UFC 187 in May, a first-round loss by TKO to Andrei Arlovski. Browne is expected to return to action in the coming months.