Jon Jones Issued $25,000 Fine For Violating Code Of Conduct

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was basically applauded by his employers when he failed an out-of-competition (OOC) drug test for cocaine metabolites four weeks prior to his UFC 182 decision win over hated rival Daniel Cormier.

The promotion was wholly blasted in the media for not punishing Jones and his perceived violation of their Code of Conduct, yet UFC President Dana White referred to the failure as a “great thing.” But when news surfaced from Jones’ own mother, of all people, that the polarizing titleholder had indeed only spent one night in a rehabilitation center, the opinionated White began to change his tune.

So tonight (Sat., January 17, 2015), they’ve decided to do something about it, as the UFC has released a statement on their website detailing a $25,000 fine of Jones for violating the Code of Conduct:

“The UFC announced today that it has fined light heavyweight champion Jon Jones $25,000 for violating the organization’s Athlete Code of Conduct policy. Jones tested positive for cocaine during an out-of-competition drug test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Dec. 4, 2014. The $25,000 will be donated to a substance abuse prevention program.

The UFC came to this decision after reviewing the facts surrounding the issue, and after receiving confirmation from the Nevada Athletic Commission that Jones passed all required drug tests following his bout at UFC 182 on Jan. 3.”

There’s hardly a doubt that many will be quick to deem Jones’ fine a paltry one for a fighter of his status, the issue with him not being punished in the first place was that it showed the UFC’s preferential treatment of its stars and the subsequent inequality. Fining him an amount on par (or even more than) with mid-tier fighters shows that the UFC may be trying to strive for some equal punishments for fighters, at least from a public relations standpoint.

That’s a good thing, because it was easy to see that doing nothing could have sent them down a disappointing spiral of mistakes. The fine is going to be called nothing by a ton of people online, but at the end of the day the UFC admitted they were wrong and assigned a punishment to one of their biggest earners.

What are your thoughts on the late developing fine? Is it too little or is the fact they made a move carry some weight in your mind?

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports