Jon Jones tested positive for a trace amount of Turinabol, but it was deemed to not be a new ingestion of the anabolic steroid. Here’s how Daniel Cormier and others reacted to the news.
Earlier today, it was announced that UFC 232 headliner Jon Jones had tested positive for a trace amount of Turinabol again. The test was deemed by USADA to not be a new ingestion, with them stating that it was still in his system from his 2017 failed test. USADA will not be punishing Jones for this and he is free to fight. However, Nevada didn’t feel like they had enough time to investigate this, so they won’t license him.
California will though, and UFC 232 has been moved to The Forum in Inglewood, CA on less than a week of notice. Jones and Gustafsson will still headline the show.
As you can expect, there is a healthy amount of speculation about the situation and how it was handled. One of the first reactions came from Jones’ nemesis, Daniel Cormier:
He tested positive again!
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) December 23, 2018
One person that hasn’t reacted yet is opponent Alexander Gustafsson. Incredibly, it’s because it doesn’t seem that he knows yet. Ariel Helwani of ESPN explains:
Alexander Gustafsson, who is scheduled to fight Jon Jones in 6 days, has been in Las Vegas for a week and, according to sources, is on a four-hour helicopter ride right now around the Grand Canyon. If he doesn’t have cell reception there is a very good chance he doesn’t know.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 24, 2018
I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough though. Anyway, here are some other reactions to the news from MMA fighters and media:
This whole #UFC232 fiasco is insane!
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) December 23, 2018
Well I had tickets to Vegas so…..
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) December 23, 2018
once a juice head always a juice head
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) December 23, 2018
Thousands of fans are traveling to Vegas for UFC 232 and they just MOVED it to LA just so Jon can get licenced to fight!!??? Am I reading this right?
— E. Casey Leydon (@ekc) December 23, 2018
Doc Novitzky is legit and as smart as a person can be. His comments and statement should not be ignored. But DAMN
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) 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
And just like that, I’m told I’m no longer attending UFC 232 by my work. No way to make it work this late. Nuts.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) December 24, 2018
I wonder who he’ll narc on this time to sweep this test under the rug? 🙂 #UFC232 https://t.co/IAkQCPcYu5
— The Mane Event™ (@EliasTheodorou) December 24, 2018