UFC Releases Official Statement on Jon Jones Drug Test Failure
The MMA world was, simply put, shaken to its core earlier this evening when news arrived that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had tested positive for an anabolic steroid after his UFC 214 knockout win over Daniel Cormier.
The failure, which has yet to ‘officially’ lead to Jones being stripped of his newly regained title, is an especially head-scratching one considering “Bones'” long and sordid history of outside-the-cage issues, of which many fans and media members felt he was somehow past during and after his feel-good comeback win over Cormier.
But if the CSAC test results prove true, Jones could be suspended for a very, very long time, and while there’s currently no timetable for his UFC return, his latest issue with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) or drugs of any kind, for that matter, have once again put his otherwise legendary fight career in jeopardy, and this time more than ever.
It’s also put his employers at the UFC in a very compromising situation as well, as the promotion has given Jones countless chances and is in serious need of headliner-worthy stars, something they are set to lose with Jones now out for an indefinite amount of time.
They released an official statement on their website this evening. Read the UFC’s response it out here:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jon Jones of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an in-competition sample collected following his weigh-in on July 28, 2017.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Jones, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed the day before Jones’ bout at UFC 214 in Anaheim, CA, and USADA will work to ensure that the CSAC has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Jones’ potential anti-doping violation.
Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
