The revelation that UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones failed a December drug test due to cocaine metabolites and has recently checked into a drug rehabilitation center has shaken MMA to the core. The question of how much the UFC and Nevada State Athletic Commission knew, and what they could (or should) have done is swirling across the MMA universe, and UFC President Dana White appeared on Fox Sports 1’s America’s Pregame to discuss the news and the UFC’s handling of the developments.
The first topic of discussion was Jones’ condition, which White was quite upbeat about.
“This is one of those situations where it’s so different than if a guy gets busted for performance enhancing drugs,” said White, via Heidi Fang of Fight Corner. “Forget about the fighting and the work side of it. You worry about the person. Jon Jones is a person.”
According to White, Jones was in a “good place” ahead of going into rehab, and he believes Jones has only gotten better since. What of the UFC’s handling of the news that Jones had failed the December drug test? According to White, the UFC opted to move forward with the fight because, “Number one [Jones] was healthy. Number two, the reason you would stop the fight and the hammer would drop on the guy, would be if he tested [positive] for performance enhancing drugs.”
Dana White: Because of the contract, they couldn’t cancel the fight. “He has a right to fight.”
— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) January 7, 2015
Also worth noting is that, according to White, the UFC did not really have the option to scrap the fight due to the nature of the drug test failure, one of the regulatory nuances Jonathan Snowden discussed, and due to the nature of the UFC’s bout agreement with him. He also flatly stated that the UFC opted not to inform Daniel Cormier, Jones’ UFC 182 opponent, because “he didn’t need to be.”
There are many questions that remain regarding Jones’ immediate future. According to the Los Angeles Times‘ Lance Pugmire, the Nevada State Athletic Commission may seek to punish Jones. In terms of Jones’ rehabilitation, there is no word on how long he may be out of the cage, and what might happen with the championship. Finally, it will be very interesting to see the results of Jones’ post-fight drug test, which will likely come out in the next two weeks.
Keep an eye out here on Bleacher Report for more news on Jones’ future as it becomes available.
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