LAS VEGAS — In the wake of Jon Jones’ failed test for cocaine metabolites, social media lit up with discussion over Jones’ curious testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratios.
Victor Conte, the man who was famously involved with the BALCO doping scandal, took to social media to note that Jones’ T/E ratio was out of line with the norm.
Mixed martial arts journalists like Bloody Elbow’s Brent Brookhouse began pushing for the Nevada commission to perform Carbon Isotope Ratio testing on Jones’ samples from the December 4 and December 18 drug tests:
Luckily, this is a situation where speculation could quickly be ended. Jon Jones’ drug test samples still exist and a simple Carbon Isotope Ratio test could be conducted to find the result. Put simply, a CIR test would be able to determine if the testosterone in Jones’ system was synthetic or natural.
But during a Thursday interview with Bleacher Report, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett said that carbon isotope testing was indeed done on Jones’ pre-fight drug tests, and that the results came back clean.
“CIT testing was done, and according to our doctor, none of the results were a concern,” Bennett said when asked if carbon testing was done on the samples.
Bennett said that three tests were done during each of the random tests: urine, blood testing for human growth hormone and a blood passport test.
“The only negative was testing positive for cocaine metabolites,” Bennett said. “We’ve gotten a litany of emails about the testosterone. We have a doctor we work with whose work has been impeccable for the last seven months. He does not have a concern on the last two tests.”
Bennett said the commission is awaiting results of the post-fight drug test administered to Jones after his win over Daniel Cormier at last Saturday’s UFC 182 event. He also noted that the commission will be discussing Jones’ issues during a Monday meeting in Las Vegas and that punishment for Jones is indeed an option on the table.
Bleacher Report has filed Freedom of Information Act requests for all of Jones’ pre-fight drug test results—including results of the carbon isotope testing—and we’ll update this story with more information once we receive them.
All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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