After marking his comeback to the sport at UFC 214 and continuing his journey to become the GOAT; USADA revealed that Jon Jones failed a pre-fight drug test.
The UFC light-heavyweight champion tested positive for a banned substance in an in-competition USADA test in relation to his fight with Daniel Cormier on July 29 in Anaheim, Calif. Jones has been suspended for the time being according to sources at MMA Fighting.
On July 29, “Bones” reclaimed his UFC light-heavyweight title by securing a third-round TKO over longtime rival Cormier.
According to ESPN, Dana White has not yet stripped the 30-year-old of the title, despite reports from TMZ, who were the first to report the news. However, the UFC did confirm in a statement on their website that Jones did test positive for the banned substance.
TMZ reported that the substance Jones tested positive for was the steroid turinabol. USADA issued a two-year ban for first-time offenders and longer for multiple-time offenders. USADA has stated they will not confirm the substance unless Jones reveals it himself.
Last night Jones’ manager Malki Kawa and his camp spoke to MMA Fighting, giving their statement on the matter. Despite testing positive for the substance Jones’ samples will be re-tested to verify if it came from anything tainted.
The full statement reads:
“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.”
