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Just when we all thought that Jon Jones had gotten it all together, we were wrong. The worst was yet to come.
A Shocking Twist
In a shocking twist, Jon Jones was removed from the UFC 200 main event two days before the fight after he failed an out of competition drug test conducted last June 16th, 2016. Here’s how Ariel Helwani broke the shock:
Jon Jones is out of UFC 200, per Jeff Novitzky. He has been flagged by USADA stemming from a test on 6/16.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 7, 2016
Jones’ removal from UFC 200 forced the UFC to hastily book a replacement bout between Jones’ original opponent Daniel Cormier and former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
An inconsolable Cormier refused to be removed from UFC 200 and instead asked the UFC for another opponent. He was willing to fight as high as 220 pounds to stay on the biggest card in UFC History. Offers to step in from fighters like Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi, Tom Lawlor and Ilir Latifi were received by UFC President Dana White surprisingly announced Silva as Cormier’s replacement foe on Thursday.
A Rough 2015
Prior to the incident, Jones had successfully returned to the Octagon with a unanimous decision win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197. Incidentally, Jones was supposed to fight Cormier at that event but DC pulled out of the bout with an injury.
With that win, Jones was named as interim UFC Light Heavyweight champion. When the original UFC 200 main event between McGregor and Diaz was removed, the Jones-Cormier rematch was re-booked as the main event of UFC 200.
UFC 200 was supposed to be Jones’ redeeming moment. In 2015, he was stripped of his title following a hit and run incident which left pregnant woman injured. Jones had a couple more brushes with the law last year and overall, 2015 was considered a rough year for Jones. However, this latest controversy is perhaps the most significant because with the UFC’s strict drug testing program, Jones could end up being suspended for two years.
B Samples
After his ouster from UFC 200, Jones and his team sent B samples to the same USADA laboratory in Utah for testing. On Friday, the results came out and the samples also turned out positive for a banned substance. As of press time, the substance has not been revealed although the USADA said it already notified Jones and his camp about it.
Jon Jones’ B sample has tested positive, USADA has confirmed to @bokamotoESPN. pic.twitter.com/wMdcboTD2b
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 8, 2016
Jones vehemently denied doping in a press conference on Thursday. He said he was unfamiliar with the substance in the report and had no explanation why such would appear in his system. Per USADA policy, A PED violation usually carries a two year ban from the sport.
