California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive officer Andy Foster explained why he believes in Jon Jones despite everything that he has gone through.
Unfortunately, the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s history has been well documented, and it’s lengthy. He failed an in-competition drug test at UFC 214 after he beat Daniel Cormier by third-round TKO in the main event on July 29 in Anaheim, California on PPV (pay-per-view) to regain the title. Jones tested positive for Turinabol.
As a result of that failed drug test, he has been stripped of the UFC light heavyweight title and removed from the official UFC rankings.
The former champion has been stripped of three different UFC belts (also a record) and failed multiple drug tests by USADA to go along with myriad legal troubles outside of the cage.
On Tuesday, the CSAC revoked Jones’ MMA license and fined him $205,000 at the hearing that would determine Jones’ fate as a result of this drug test.
Foster made it clear that doesn’t think the former UFC light heavyweight champion is lying about his failed drug test and the fact that he didn’t knowingly take the steroid he tested positive for.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Foster said of the situation (transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting). “He passed all the tests that were surprise tests, the out-of-competition tests, but then he fails the one he knows is coming? That doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. And with a drug that is easily detectable. There’s a lot of things that doesn’t make any sense about this. As you know, I can’t deal with that. I can only deal with the facts that are in front of me.”
“I think there needed to be somewhat of a message sent this time,” Foster said. “If we suspend, he is getting a license back in the future. If we revoke it, he has to come back to this commission and ask for it back and then show them that he’s done some things.
“He’s an icon in the sport, he’s possibly the best mixed martial artist that has ever lived. He needs to understand just like anybody else that what a license holder in mixed martial artist is. It takes responsibility to get that license.”
Now, Jones is waiting for a hearing about the decision made by USADA regarding his punishment. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when that potential hearing will take place, but it’s like to go down in March.
“I hope that people look at all this with some common sense,” Foster said. “It doesn’t make sense for Jon Jones to dope at the time that he doped. I mean, administered — whatever the term. I’m not saying he’s a doper. I’m saying however it got in his system, that wouldn’t have been the right time. That’s where my mind was at and that’s what I wasn’t able to get around the whole time. But did that stuff hurt him? I hope not.”
“Hopefully, the next time I see Mr. Jones he’ll be sitting beside me and I’ll have his application in my hand and I’ll say, ‘Look, I’m recommending you give Mr. Jones a license.’
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