The UFC has confirmed that light heavyweight champion Jon Jones failed a drug test prior to his fight against Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 last month. Jones beat Cormier and regained the title with a third round TKO.
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.
According to TMZ, Jones tested positive for the steroid Turinabol. It is the second failed drug test of Jones' career. The 30-year-old last year tested positive for estrogen blockers shortly before his UFC 200 headline fight against Cormier. He received a one-year ban for the violation.
Reacting to the news, UFC President Dana White said that this could be the end of Jones' career. White also denied reports that Jones had been stripped of his belt.
If it ends up getting two or three [years], it might be the end of his career. So to talk about his legacy, it’s probably the end of his career.
Jones' camp also released a statement following the news.
We are all at a complete loss for words right now. Jon, his trainers, his nutritionists and his entire camp have worked tirelessly and meticulously the past 12 months to avoid this exact situation. We are having the samples tested again to determine the validity or source of contamination.
Jon is crushed by this news, and we are doing whatever we can as a team to support him.
