Jon Jones Reacts To CSAC Punishment Hearing
Earlier today, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones appeared before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to find out potential sanctions for his UFC 214 failed drug test for anabolic steroid Turinabol.
There, commissioners fined Jones $205,000 and revoked his license, saying he could reapply for the license later this year pending a suspension from USADA, before whom Jones will appear next.
But the hearing for punishment, which was essentially handed over to USADA for presumably its full weight and consequences, wasn’t exactly a glaring moment for Jones and his team despite the appearance of him being potentially able to reapply for a license to fight in California later this year. “Bones'” defense presented an anti-doping expert who claimed there was a distinct chance he had tested positive for Turinabol due to the quickly tiring tainted supplement defense but revealed it was not found in all of Jones’ tested supplements and provided no evidence otherwise.
Facing his second USADA violation in as many years, Jones also said he didn’t know how he could prevent something like this from happening because he didn’t knowingly do anything wrong to begin with, and was then grilled at length by the commissioners with much of the focus on his incredibly sordid past of drug-related issues. Jones seemed to think that a defense of him swearing he didn’t do it was enough, but that most likely won’t be the case, and overall, it seems like he did himself no favors with what appeared to be a less-than-intelligent defense.
But “Bones” isn’t holding any grudges against the CSAC – or at least he’s making it appear that way.
Shortly after the hearing’s conclusion, he issued a short Tweet thanking the commission and especially executive officer Andy Foster, who said he believes Jones didn’t knowingly take steroids:
I want to thank csac for taking the time and hearing my case, and executive officer Andy Foster for saying he believes me.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) February 27, 2018
Thank yous are a nice touch; however, Jones is now facing a potentially much stiffer punishment than the fine and license revocation he got today.
The troubled UFC legend could face a suspension of up to four years after he already served a one-year suspension for failing in the days before 2016’s UFC 200.
He also (extremely foolishly) admitted that he did not read or watch the USADA tutorials provided to UFC fighters and instead had his management team sign his name on the paperwork insisting he did.
It’s hard to imagine a situation where USADA takes it easy on a fighter who admitted such a blatant violation of their rules, and he was probably already going to be suspended anyway.
For how long remains to be seen.
