From now on I will be referring to Jon Jones as *Jon Jones or just ” * “. I think *Jon Jones would probably fit better because the former, current, possibly former again light heavyweight champion will always have that asterisk next to his name on the GOAT list.
Jon has tested positive for banned substances a number of times including a test(s) leading up to his clash with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in December. His failure caused the entire event to be moved last minute from Nevada to California. Who does that? Dana White. Dana White does that.
The kicker is that Jones entered the VADA program which stands for the Voluntary Anti Doping Agency to try and clear his name. Unfortunately he tested positive again the night of the weigh-ins and the defenses for the failure(s) have varied. The main spin is that it is simply microscopic amounts of the turinabol substance resurfacing from a previously failed drug test…over a year old..let that sink in.
On Thursday we got to hear from Gustafsson’s manager Nima Safapour via a statement he released to MMA Fighting.
The inconclusive and inconsistent results that are repeatedly occurring with Jon Jones, at the very least, should compel our industry to have a greater, deeper, and more impartial discussion about the legitimacy of Jon’s defense. Jon has gone out publicly boasting when some of his results come back negative. However, he remains silent when his test results come back positive. You can not have it both ways and cherry-pick the results that are favorable for you, and insist that we disregard the results that go against your interests.
Jon has essentially received a use exemption on a strict liability violation. The science is not certain on the defense he has taken. Furthermore, science is always in a state of change. So the science we rely on today is different than the science we relied on from just a few years ago. It will probably change again going forward. Jones is also creating a precedent that will go beyond his personal interests in the sense that now other fighters will also seek use exemptions on a strict liability violation based on an issue that the science community is still divided on. It’s an absolute mess.
What do you think of all of this? Is Jon really a cheater or does he simply have a freaky genetic make-up which stores and pumps the banned substance at random?
WTF?