The latest speed bump in Jon Jones' career might be one of his most damaging yet. As we reported this morning, Jones has been withdrawn from the UFC 200 main event just hours before he was due to step into the cage after failing a mandatory USADA drug test and the fallout from this could potentially and irreparably damage his relationship with the UFC and the fans who follow it.
This is a massive blow to the UFC and the fans of the sport and the second time, following the company's stand-off with Conor McGregor earlier this year, that Dana White has been forced to scrap the featured attraction of their biggest show to date.
For Jones, this is the latest misstep in a professional career littered with self-sabotage. It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny now that for every moment of greatness he displayed in the cage, it will be remembered in tandem with his indiscretions outside of it.
For Daniel Cormier, Jones' intended opponent this weekend, it underlines many of the things that he had been saying about Jones in the lead-in to the fight and denies him the opportunity to overcome the biggest challenge of his career. With Cormier's age (38) and Jones likely staring down a two-year doping ban, assuming that the failed test is proved valid, it's looking likely that these two men will never find the closure in the cage that their rivalry deserved.
There's only one person you can blame for that and it's not Daniel Cormier.
Happened to see DC outside the presser. He could hardly speak. Distraught would be putting it mildly.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 7, 2016
Cormier: This chapter in my life has been dragging on me and it’s making me ugly. I need to move on.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 7, 2016
What now for DC? The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion is without an opponent for this weekend. He's in fighting shape, but can the UFC get someone for him to square off with on such short notice?
Several fighters have taken to Twitter to put their names forward including the recently crowned middleweight champion, Michael Bisping.
2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days...... Hmmm middle vs light heavy???? I stand by my words. I'd do it!
— michael (@bisping) July 7, 2016
I was the last LHW Strikeforce Champion. I will be the next LHW @ufc Champion if given this fight. @danawhite
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) July 7, 2016
Hey Dana sorry to hear the bad news but I'm ready to fight so give me the shot! @danawhite
— Ilir Latifi (@Latifimma) July 7, 2016
In another interesting twist of fate, the press conference between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz - the original main event for UFC 200 - will take place tonight in Las Vegas and you can be sure that questions will be raised as to whether the UFC's decision to remove McGregor from the card was the correct one.
McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, couldn't resist poking the bear on Twitter when the news broke and didn't find Dana White in the most jovial of moods.
zero
— danawhite (@danawhite) July 7, 2016
White and the UFC have so far declined to comment on what exactly Jones failed his test for but we do know that it was from a test conducted on the 16th June and as it was an out of competition test, street drugs like cocaine or marijuana wouldn't be flagged.
Brock Lesnar will now go down in history as headlining both UFC 100 and UFC 200. The show, while it must go on, has lost a huge part of its appeal and the main event between Hunt and Lesnar doesn't have the same natural drama when compared to the fight it is replacing.
For Jon Jones, this just appears to be the latest act in his tragedy and it will certainly be interesting to hear what comes out when he speaks to the media later today.
Jon Jones is scheduled to speak to the media tomorrow in Las Vegas, per his manager @malkikawa. No comment being provided tonight.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 7, 2016
As for the UFC, it's time to roll with the punches once again.
Timeline of UFC 200 main events:
M̶c̶G̶r̶e̶g̶o̶r̶/̶D̶i̶a̶z̶
J̶o̶n̶e̶s̶/̶C̶o̶r̶m̶i̶e̶r̶
Lesnar/Hunt pic.twitter.com/oJAqrB0q8c— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 7, 2016
