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Phil Davis thinks Jon Jones should have been disciplined for cocaine use: ‘I think you gotta do something’
LOS ANGELES — Phil Davis was surprised when he heard Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites. That was just the first emotion, though. In a way, he also felt bad for Jones. And, more than that, he was also pretty confused.
Davis didn’t quite understand why Jones failed a drug test yet was not penalized at all for it. The UFC light heavyweight contender is still trying to wrap his brain around the in-competition/out-of-competition debate.
“I want to preface everything I say with, I’m just a stupid fighter,” Davis said Tuesday at a media luncheon to promote UFC on FOX 14: Gustafsson vs. Johnson. “What do I know? But they drug tested him and he popped. Now I’m just a stupid fighter — what do I know? But it sounds like if you were gonna drug test him, you were looking to do something if he popped. So I think you gotta do something. But then again, what do I know? I’m just a stupid fighter.”
For the most part, Davis was tongue-in-cheek about the situation. According to the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), Jones was tested for cocaine accidentally. Executive director Bob Bennett called it an “administrative oversight,” because cocaine is not prohibited by the commission out of competition since they use the code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Out of competition is defined by anything but the 12 hours before and after a fight. The entire scenario is pretty convoluted. Davis joked that he still isn’t sure what the rules are.
“I feel like it all needs to be explained to me, so I know when it’s OK to do cocaine and get away with it,” Davis quipped. “So I can do cocaine right now? Alright, cool.”
Davis fights Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 14 on Jan. 24 in Sweden. So, technically he could ingest cocaine this week and he would not be penalized per WADA rules as long as it wasn’t within 12 hours of the fight.
“Mr. Wonderful” hasn’t had many nice things to say about Jones over the years. Most notably, Davis was brutal on Jones before UFC 172 when Davis fought Anthony Johnson and Jones took on Glover Teixeira. Davis even did a mock staredown with Jones during media day. Davis’ trash talk, though, is mostly in jest. And he legitimately was unhappy about the Jones news.
“I was just shocked,” Davis said. “The other part of it is you have to feel a little bit bad for the guy. Just because he’s a human, he’s a person and we’re all unperfect people. I don’t want to see the guy ruin his future, regardless of whether I’m competing against him. I want the best for the guy in life, up until I get in the cage with him. Then I’m hoping for the best for me. Then immediately after we get out of the cage, I’ll wish the best for him.”
Davis went right back to being facetious when asked about Jones’ rehab stint. Jones’ mother told a Binghamton television station this week that her son had spent just one night in a drug-treatment facility.
“If he thought he only needed a day, isn’t it a smarter decision to go with that?” Davis said. “Didn’t he check himself in? So only he knows how bad this is. So if I say, ‘Look, Coach. I’m injured. My elbow hurts. I need to sit out today.’ If tomorrow I say I can go, y’all should let me go. He said, ‘I need to go into rehab tonight.’ If tomorrow, he’s good, he’s good. I believe him. He’s over it.”
Davis said he doesn’t know if Jones was truly addicted or not. But, when asked if a UFC athlete should be taking the recreational drug, Davis made the topic broader.
“I don’t think people should do cocaine,” he said. “I guess it’s against the law. I don’t know what the federal government knows and how long they’ve studied it, but it’s against the law. I’m guessing they know something about it. And if they deemed it illegal, then I’m gonna have to go with that. Whether or not he specifically should be using it, that’s up to him and his coaches. Whoever.”
Some fighters, like Jake Shields, have said it is hard to resist temptation when you’re rich and famous like Jones. Davis said personally he has no trouble staying out of trouble with regards to partying and he doesn’t think Jones’ situation is reflection on MMA or the UFC.
“By saying it’s a black eye for the sport, that’s not really acknowledging the fact that he’s a person and he should probably get his affairs under order,” Davis said. “It’s definitely more of an individual thing. You can make it more about the sport, but at the same time he’s an individual. Again, it’s not good for anyone. If anyone of us gets a DUI or caught using illegal drugs.”
While Davis doesn’t think it makes MMA look bad, he said it isn’t a positive thing for the sport either.
“It’s not good for anybody if one of our colleagues is spiraling out of control,” Davis said. “Not to say that was the case, but I hope he gets a handle on it.”
LOS ANGELES — Phil Davis was surprised when he heard Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites. That was just the first emotion, though. In a way, he also felt bad for Jones. And, more than that, he was also pretty confused.
Davis didn’t quite understand why Jones failed a drug test yet was not penalized at all for it. The UFC light heavyweight contender is still trying to wrap his brain around the in-competition/out-of-competition debate.
“I want to preface everything I say with, I’m just a stupid fighter,” Davis said Tuesday at a media luncheon to promote UFC on FOX 14: Gustafsson vs. Johnson. “What do I know? But they drug tested him and he popped. Now I’m just a stupid fighter — what do I know? But it sounds like if you were gonna drug test him, you were looking to do something if he popped. So I think you gotta do something. But then again, what do I know? I’m just a stupid fighter.”
For the most part, Davis was tongue-in-cheek about the situation. According to the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), Jones was tested for cocaine accidentally. Executive director Bob Bennett called it an “administrative oversight,” because cocaine is not prohibited by the commission out of competition since they use the code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Out of competition is defined by anything but the 12 hours before and after a fight. The entire scenario is pretty convoluted. Davis joked that he still isn’t sure what the rules are.
“I feel like it all needs to be explained to me, so I know when it’s OK to do cocaine and get away with it,” Davis quipped. “So I can do cocaine right now? Alright, cool.”
Davis fights Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 14 on Jan. 24 in Sweden. So, technically he could ingest cocaine this week and he would not be penalized per WADA rules as long as it wasn’t within 12 hours of the fight.
“Mr. Wonderful” hasn’t had many nice things to say about Jones over the years. Most notably, Davis was brutal on Jones before UFC 172 when Davis fought Anthony Johnson and Jones took on Glover Teixeira. Davis even did a mock staredown with Jones during media day. Davis’ trash talk, though, is mostly in jest. And he legitimately was unhappy about the Jones news.
“I was just shocked,” Davis said. “The other part of it is you have to feel a little bit bad for the guy. Just because he’s a human, he’s a person and we’re all unperfect people. I don’t want to see the guy ruin his future, regardless of whether I’m competing against him. I want the best for the guy in life, up until I get in the cage with him. Then I’m hoping for the best for me. Then immediately after we get out of the cage, I’ll wish the best for him.”
Davis went right back to being facetious when asked about Jones’ rehab stint. Jones’ mother told a Binghamton television station this week that her son had spent just one night in a drug-treatment facility.
“If he thought he only needed a day, isn’t it a smarter decision to go with that?” Davis said. “Didn’t he check himself in? So only he knows how bad this is. So if I say, ‘Look, Coach. I’m injured. My elbow hurts. I need to sit out today.’ If tomorrow I say I can go, y’all should let me go. He said, ‘I need to go into rehab tonight.’ If tomorrow, he’s good, he’s good. I believe him. He’s over it.”
Davis said he doesn’t know if Jones was truly addicted or not. But, when asked if a UFC athlete should be taking the recreational drug, Davis made the topic broader.
“I don’t think people should do cocaine,” he said. “I guess it’s against the law. I don’t know what the federal government knows and how long they’ve studied it, but it’s against the law. I’m guessing they know something about it. And if they deemed it illegal, then I’m gonna have to go with that. Whether or not he specifically should be using it, that’s up to him and his coaches. Whoever.”
Some fighters, like Jake Shields, have said it is hard to resist temptation when you’re rich and famous like Jones. Davis said personally he has no trouble staying out of trouble with regards to partying and he doesn’t think Jones’ situation is reflection on MMA or the UFC.
“By saying it’s a black eye for the sport, that’s not really acknowledging the fact that he’s a person and he should probably get his affairs under order,” Davis said. “It’s definitely more of an individual thing. You can make it more about the sport, but at the same time he’s an individual. Again, it’s not good for anyone. If anyone of us gets a DUI or caught using illegal drugs.”
While Davis doesn’t think it makes MMA look bad, he said it isn’t a positive thing for the sport either.
“It’s not good for anybody if one of our colleagues is spiraling out of control,” Davis said. “Not to say that was the case, but I hope he gets a handle on it.”
