Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had his license revoked and received a $205,000 fine from the California State Athletic Commission after he tested positive for a banned substance prior to his victory over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 last July.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani provided the context for what the CSAC’s ruling means:
As Helwani noted, the process for Jones doesn’t stop with the CSAC. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a one-year suspension to Jones in November 2016 for a positive drug test, and his punishment this time around could be even lengthier.
Although Helwani said Jones can reapply for his license in March 2019, ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto reported the revocation was backdated to August 2017. As a result, Jones can apply for reinstatement as early as this August.
A USADA suspension could, however, push that date back even further.
At the very least, CSAC’s ruling puts a dream match between Jones and Brock Lesnar in serious jeopardy.
Jones called out Lesnar during his post-fight interview after beating Cormier. He capped the interview by saying, “Brock Lesnar, if you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the Octagon.”
Lesnar hasn’t fought in UFC since UFC 200 in July 2016, but he and UFC president Dana White sparked rumors of a return when White shared a photo in which he was standing alongside the former heavyweight champion:
Lesnar turns 41 in July, so the clock is ticking if he’s going to fight Jones. If he has to wait until 2019 or even later, then that likely rules out the possibility altogether.
Jones, meanwhile, will be 31 in July, so even a two or three-year suspension wouldn’t necessarily be career-ending. But having his license revoked represents another big hurdle to climb if he’s going to return to the Octagon.
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