Jon Jones Is Not Suspended, Will Still Face His Formal Rival Alexander Gustafsson, Promotion Moved UFC 232 To LA
The controversial former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is in hot water again, as his recent drug test catches ‘atypical finding.’ The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) wouldn’t license Jones to fight at UFC 232 next weekend. As a result, UFC announced they’ll be moving it’s UFC 232 fight card to The Forum in Inglewood, California.
According to a report from MMAjunkie, Jones drug test found a trace amount of metabolite of oral Turinabol as it’s the same drug Jones tested positive for UFC 214 last year.
This ‘atypical finding’ doesn’t represent that ‘Bones’ failed his drug test. According to UFC VP of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky said the minor traces on Jones’s drug test is likely the results of “pulsing” and not from his recent ingestion of the banned substance. Jeff also said the amount of Turinabol found in Jones system is equivalent to picogram.
“A picogram is a one-trillionth of a gram,” Novitzky told MMAjunkie. “If you put one grain of salt on the table and split it up into 50 million pieces, a picogram is one of those pieces of that gram of salt. These levels have shown up in the single and double digits of picograms – so such a small amount.”
“There’s been no violation of the anti-doping program,” Novitzky added. “He’s been cleared to fight in terms of the USADA program. … USADA fully analyzed it internally. They reached out to outside experts from around the world. They reached out to another sports league that has seen the same issue. And all of them, independent of us, determined that this was not a reingestion of the substance and this very, very small amount that was occurring and still showing up, according to these expects from around the world, did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit.
“Not much is known about this longterm metabolite. The parent compound is not approved for human use anywhere in the world … but what both USADA and other entities are seeing is that a recurrence, or potential ‘pulsing,’ where you have multiple negative tests and then a positive one for a very low amount – they’re seeing that quite commonly over time. And no one knows how long this could last – it could potentially last forever (in Jones’ system).”
According to a statement from Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), Jones should withdraw his license application to fight in Nevada.
Statement from the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Jon Jones pic.twitter.com/ud7gfjgYNJ
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) December 23, 2018
A report from MMAFighting, UFC will move forward with Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson title fight as UFC 232 moves to LA. Also, the (CSAC) has already granted former champion his fight license.
“We’ve got a statement from three different scientists, from the [WADA-accredited] lab director [at SMRTL in Salt Lake City] saying there’s no evidence of any new ingestion,” Foster said. “This isn’t a new thing. This is what he’s been punished for already. He’s already served his time on this.”
UFC head honcho Dana White also gives his take on Jon Jones fiasco:
“There’s no bigger (expletive)-up in the history of the UFC than Jon Jones,” White said. “Let’s be honest, OK? When you have a guy that’s like Jon Jones, how many people do you really think are going to put their reputation, the UFC’s reputation, the California State Athletic Commission’s reputation, Jeff Novitzky’s reputation, USADA’s reputation – the list goes on and on – on the line for a guy who has (expletive) up as much as Jon Jones? Everybody here and everybody I just mentioned 100 percent believes Jon Jones is innocent.”
“You know I’m not afraid to cancel a fight,” White said. “I’m not going to move a whole (expletive) event to Los Angeles because we need Jon Jones to fight on Saturday because money, or we need … none of that (expletive). Jon Jones has trained for this fight. Gustafsson has trained for this fight. This fight needs to happen in this division. This fight should happen, and it’s going to happen because he didn’t do anything wrong.”
Check below how fighters react to this news:
He tested positive again!
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) December 23, 2018
Smh….. pic.twitter.com/7ANsAIL0jf
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) December 24, 2018
If true. It is insanity https://t.co/5K6rQbYILn
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) December 23, 2018
Didn’t @jonjones just tell CSAC to get lost on @Vada_Testing last week??? ?♂️
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) December 24, 2018
Remember that time Dana said @jonjones would never main event again…. um yeah
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) December 24, 2018
I’m always clean. I train and drink Modelo. https://t.co/V9e2YMeYeB
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) December 24, 2018
once a juice head always a juice head
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) December 23, 2018
How the fuck has Jones tested positive again ?? We need answers ASAP !!
— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) December 24, 2018
“If Santa can travel the world in one night you goofs can pony up for a 4 hour drive to LA. Merry fuckin Christmas.” -Dana White #UFC232
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) December 24, 2018
I’ve always wanted to fight in Los Angeles!!!! Let’s go @UFC 232!!!!! ????
— Siyar The Great (@Siyarized) December 24, 2018
Meanwhile back at my air bnb in Vegas…. #ufc232 pic.twitter.com/9mDZvMEcoP
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) December 24, 2018
Them: OMG @JonnyBones pissed hot again?!
Me: pic.twitter.com/T9073F3yNm
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) December 24, 2018
Call me crazy but perhaps the CSAC is using common sense here and allowing it. Again, “a grain of salt cut into 50 MILLION pieces” one of those pieces is what was found in Jones’ system. #picogram https://t.co/rrBbrWuc1w
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) December 24, 2018
USADA is a joke. Small trace amount from 2017 trigged a positive test? UFC has to move the entire event from Vegas to LA due to “holidays” for NASC. Oh cool. Nothing fishy AT ALL. ??♂️??? https://t.co/xJ5OaAUZbn
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) December 24, 2018
Thought they had to go through 6 months of clean test before they could compete.? Is this his first test this close to the fight since suspension was lifted..? Fishy Fishy..????? I’ve always said, when someone paying your paycheck, they make the decision on who gets busted https://t.co/lGkl3Pp6Ni
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) December 24, 2018
Anyone know a good travel agent? #UFC232 asking for #CyborgNation pic.twitter.com/Nmk6sHxkuB
— Cris Cyborg #CyborgNation (@criscyborg) December 24, 2018
My supps are made in USA. I have a great supplement sponsor @HPNSupps which uses only the best ingredients & is 3rd party tested to be certified safe for sport. Jon Jones is a fucking champion & millionaire, any "tainted" supplement isnt an excuse or an accident at this point. ?♂️ https://t.co/rtbJtlrpFi
— The Mane Event™ (@EliasTheodorou) December 24, 2018
I’ve always loved snow! I’m moving to Arizona where it’s apparently irresistible! #JonJones #UFC
— Chas Skelly (@ChasSkelly) December 23, 2018
Can I have some of Jon Jones purse though as reimbursement to the family that I have flying down to Vegas and the hotels booked ? @ufc
— Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) December 24, 2018
17 picograms of ostarine got me 2 years.
— “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) December 23, 2018
Unbelievable n totally not unbelievable. It's not hard to be a clean athlete. A fun week of media ahead for sure. Don't waste ur time with this guy champ champ @dc_mma. Cash out with the other juicer n enjoy the good life. The cleanest n most dominant team in history #AKA @akajav pic.twitter.com/QAdkfNAN1D
— Arjan Singh Bhullar (@TheOneASB) December 24, 2018
So……. #UFC232 huh
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) December 23, 2018
What the fuck just happened!? #UFC232
— Austin Arnett (@AustinArnettMMA) December 24, 2018
Or maybe a fighter on the card that had to find out through the internet… https://t.co/qNmwMdFSlN
— Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) December 23, 2018
?♂️?♂️?♂️ https://t.co/z8TDllIOEV
— Krzysztof Jotko (@JotkoMMA) December 23, 2018
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) December 24, 2018
I can’t imagine moving this entire event. All the flights, hotel rooms, fans, media that have already been arranged….crazy https://t.co/c39JLnfY42
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) December 24, 2018
Why am I not surprised… pic.twitter.com/JTmmDOXFsc
— Anthony Smith (@lionheartsmith) December 24, 2018
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