Two days after Jon Jones broke the news that he, along with his UFC 172 opponent Glover Teixeira, have been randomly drug tested prior to their April 26 UFC light heavyweight title fight, Patrick Panella, the Executive Director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission, has released a statement on the matter.
“The Maryland State Athletic Commission respects, and maintains, the confidentiality of the out-of-competition random drug testing currently being conducted of professional MMA fighters Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira as they prepare to compete in UFC 172 on April 26, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. Given that one or both of these individuals have commented publicly on such testing, the Maryland State Athletic Commission commends Mr. Jones and Mr. Teixeira, as well as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), for their cooperation in supporting these additional drug testing measures. The Maryland State Athletic Commission believes that such measures are significant and reflect favorably upon the sport of MMA. We are looking forward to regulating UFC 172 in Baltimore. To ensure the confidentiality of testing, there will be no further comment from the Maryland State Athletic Commission on this subject at this time.”
Jones, who requested that both he and Teixeira were tested prior to the fight, was tested for the first time on Wednesday at the Jackson-Winkeljohn gym in Albuquerque, N.M., while Teixeira was tested less than two weeks ago. Both fighters had their blood and urine tested by an independent lab, and the UFC is paying for all costs.
“I just think it would be great to know that the athletes that are competing are competing clean,” Jones told “UFC Tonight.” “I’ve never taken any type of performance enhancing drug and I don’t think any of my opponents should. I know that I’ve probably fought people in the past who have and I’m still coming up with a way to win. I just think it’s important that it goes away. I want to see our sport be a clean sport. I want to see athletes really have pride in hard work. That’s why I put my money where my mouth is and get the test myself.”
Below is the FOX Sports 1 interview with Jones moments after he was drug tested.