UFC Strips Jon Jones Of Interim Light Heavyweight Title
The hits keep on coming for former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. It was recently announced that USADA gave Jones a year-long suspension due to to a failed drug test in June. Jones was pulled out of UFC 200 because of anti-doping violation. Jones was supposed to fight Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title at the event.
UFC President Dana White confirmed that the UFC has stripped Jones of the interim light heavyweight title, which marks the second time in two years that the promotion has stripped Jones of a title. Jones defeated Ovince St. Preux at UFC 197 to become the interim champion. The fight was originally supposed to be against Cormier for the official title, but Cormier withdrew due to injury.
White’s decision to strip Jones comes is due to Jones’ recent mistakes, and according to the UFC boss, it makes no sense to have Jones as a champion when he will be out of action.
“It doesn’t make sense,” White told ESPN’s 5ive Rounds podcast. “He was the interim champion because he should have been fighting for the title [in April]. We gave him this, ‘You were supposed to fight for the title, here it is.’ It doesn’t make sense with all the stuff that is going on for him to still be the interim champion.”
“”Jon Jones has blown it in every way shape and form a guy with that much talent can blow it,” White said. “Greatest talent ever and the biggest screw-up ever.”
The division’s greatest talent should be eligible to fight by June 2017.
