Tag: Jon Jones USADA

Daniel Cormier Refuses To Fight Jon Jones Next

It’s been a rollercoaster of a month for UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. At the beginning of July, he was finally set to rematch arch rival Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 200 for a chance to finally unify the 205-pound titles and silence his critics once and for all. But just days

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It’s been a rollercoaster of a month for UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

At the beginning of July, he was finally set to rematch arch rival Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 200 for a chance to finally unify the 205-pound titles and silence his critics once and for all. But just days out from the event, “DC” was hit with the heavy news that “Bones” wouldn’t competing at the supposedly monumental event after a potential USADA violation for two banned substances forced the UFC to pull him from the bout.

Cormier fought and beat late replacement Anderson Silva on the much-ballyhooed main card, using his clear area of strength of wrestling to control “The Spider” in an uneventful and, in the eyes of many fans in Las Vegas, disappointing bout. So the champ just couldn’t win – even if he won – and it turned out to be a sort of microcosm of his year in general.

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Forever linked to “Bones,” who beat him by unanimous decision at 2015’s UFC 182, Cormier was and is viewed as a fake champion despite wins over top contenders Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson while the formerly dominant Jones was dealing with his seemingly never-ending legal troubles.

He may never be fully redeemed in the minds of some fans if he never beats Jones, but at this point, he’s just had enough of his rival’s card-wrecking antics. Speaking candidly during his return as a co-host on UFC Tonight last night, Cormier unveiled the stance that he was not going to face Jones, but rather the winner of UFC 202’s pivotal bout between “Rumble” and Glover Teixeira next:

“The sad thing is that you got guys that are doing everything right. Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira are doing everything right. So, I am sitting here right now telling you on UFC Tonight, I am going to fight the winner of that fight. I don’t care if Jon Jones comes back, I am not going to reward him. His chance was July 9, and he was not there. Glover Teixeira and Anthony Johnson are very deserving guys, and they should get the title shot after they fight. They’re doing the things the right way.”

It’s a proclamation that won’t be lauded by most, but at the same time, it’s one that is understandable at the same time. Jones and his downward spiral of arrests and drug test failures are putting a serious damper on his overall legacy and career in the long run, but in the short term, they are simply demolishing the high-profile cards he’s booked on.

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The UFC was quick to kick featherweight champion Conor McGregor out of the main event slot for missing a press conference, yet while “The Notorious” may have needed to be put in place somewhat, putting the onus of UFC 200 – the so-called “biggest card ever” – on Jones’ (along with Brock Lesnar’s, who also failed two drug tests himself) dubious shoulders was a questionable call at best.

Like it or not, Cormier isn’t going to reward that behavior any longer. Jones may arguably be the best pound-for-pound talent MMA has ever seen.

He also may be the biggest waste of talent the sport has ever built up.

There might be a time when “DC” finally settles his long-held rivalry with Jones; there might not. It just won’t be in Cormier’s next trip to the Octagon.

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Report: Brock Lesnar & Jon Jones Will Not Face UFC Fines

UFC 200 took many hits of a wide variety in the lead up, on fight night and following the July 9 milestone event. After the rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz was taken off the main event, fans began to wonder what star power was left given the busy nature of the rest of

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UFC 200 took many hits of a wide variety in the lead up, on fight night and following the July 9 milestone event. After the rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz was taken off the main event, fans began to wonder what star power was left given the busy nature of the rest of the champions and talent in the months prior to UFC 200. In the bag was Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones part 2, so not too bad after all, but that fight would not come to fruition.

‘Bones’ was announced to have failed a USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) drug screen dating back to June 16 of this year. Jeff Novitsky dropped the game changer just three days prior to the event, and suddenly the card was in real trouble. A slight buffer was provided when Anderson Silva replaced Jones against ‘DC,’ but still an immeasurable amount of damage had been done to the card, especially in the midst of the UFC’s sale becoming official.

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The woe and sorrow surrounding UFC 200 was far from blown over, as Brock Lesnar was later revealed to have also failed a USADA screen. His bust was announced after he’d trounced Mark Hunt for three rounds, leaving ‘The Super Samoan’ in a furious mood. The heavy hitting former K-1 champion would later declare he was starting a fighters union because of the scandalous events surrounding Lesnar’s UFC return. It was also later revealed that Lesnar had failed an in-competition test on the very day of UFC 200.

So what’s the score as far as the UFC are concerned? Arguably the two biggest stars of the card, both popped for estrogen blockers, and now face serious consequences from USADA. From the UFC though? Nothing, this coming from Marc Raimondi on Twitter:

Of course the Nevada State Athletic Commission and USADA will ultimately decide both fighter’s fates respectively, but the UFC not adding to their troubles will probably come as good news to Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar.

The big question is who will be next…

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Ovince St-Preux: Hey Jon, When Did You Start Taking PEDs?

The ugly situation surrounding UFC interim light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones continues to rule headlines. Yesterday (July 18, 2016) it was confirmed that the former undisputed 205-pound boss and pound-for-pound king had indeed been flagged for estrogen blockers. ‘Bones’ once again argued his innocence once the news had broke, claiming ignorance about the contents of a supplement

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The ugly situation surrounding UFC interim light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones continues to rule headlines. Yesterday (July 18, 2016) it was confirmed that the former undisputed 205-pound boss and pound-for-pound king had indeed been flagged for estrogen blockers. ‘Bones’ once again argued his innocence once the news had broke, claiming ignorance about the contents of a supplement he’d been using.

After such a jaded past outside the octagon, Jones’ legacy within the realm of combat sports has come under question from many. Former opponent and rival Daniel Cormier has actually remained reasonably quiet on ‘Bones’ and his failed drug test. It’s been mostly a backlash from fighters and fans that Jones has been dealing with, and that includes his UFC 197 opponent Ovince St-Preux.

Jon Jones UFC 197

Jones defeated ‘OSP’ at UFC 197 when ‘DC’ pulled out of the rematch with an injury. The 33-year old fighting out of Knoxville, Tennessee put in a game performance on April 23, but proved to be no match as ‘Bones’ cruised to the unanimous decision. In the wake of the confirmation of PCT (post cycle therapy) substances being found in Jones’ system, St-Preux had some stern words for the troubled interim champ on Facebook:

“On June 18th, Jon Jones was caught taking Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) drugs. This means he was on some form of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDS) before this date. The only real questions are: When did he start taking them? Was it before his fight with me or after? There are not many people who can answer this question, but Jon Jones is one of them. So, I am asking: When did you start taking PEDS Jon? I wanted to fight the best fighter in the world, but I did not sign up to fight a cheater. So, be a stand-up person, tell us all the truth. We all know you were on PEDS because you got caught taking PCT drugs. Just tell the world the truth.”

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Another angle on this developing saga is that Jones team has grossly mismanaged him. Chael Sonnen recently exploded on his podcast, claiming Jones’ management had phoned to complain about ‘The American Gangster’s’ appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience. Sonnen had leaked that estrogen blockers were found in ‘Bones’ system a week ago Monday.

One her highly controversial comment came from Michael H DiSabato on Twitter. The former D1 wrestler once called out Jones for cocaine use months before he tested positive in 2014, taking to social media with the following rants:

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Confirmed: Jon Jones Tested Positive For Anti-Estrogen Substances

It’s been nearly two weeks since decorated former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones threw the MMA world into complete madness when he was forced out of his scheduled UFC 200 main event against arch nemesis Daniel Cormier due to a potential USADA violation from a June 28 test. The discussion has now shifted to

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It’s been nearly two weeks since decorated former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones threw the MMA world into complete madness when he was forced out of his scheduled UFC 200 main event against arch nemesis Daniel Cormier due to a potential USADA violation from a June 28 test.

The discussion has now shifted to just what will happen to the troubled but talented Jones, and that process got started at today’s (Mon., July 18, 2016) Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) hearing in Las Vegas.

First, it was confirmed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that Jones had indeed tested positive for anti-estrogen substances as had been speculated by Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans:

Then word came from FOX Sports’ Damon Martin that Jones would be temporarily suspended until a later hearing:

So the wheels of Jones’ final punishment are in motion, but obviously not anywhere close to stopping for good anytime soon. His team has claimed the standard go-to defense of a tainted supplement, something that UFC athletes Yoel Romero and Tim Means have actually gotten reduced suspensions for after violating the UFC’s new and increased doping policy, which obviously has some kinks still to be worked out.

But the onus is going to fall on Jones here, because at the very least he was responsible for not having a supplement checked for the dangerous red flag of having anti-estrogen substances in them somehow.

It’s simply the latest in a long line of highly-publicized and sad incidents in the saga of Jones, who could potentially face a two-year ban from USADA in the prime of his fighting career.

There’s also no telling how this may affect his probation, which he received for leaving the scene after hitting and fracturing the arm of a 25-year-old pregnant women in Albuquerque last year and was already jailed for violating earlier this year.

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Quote: Jon Jones Stands To Lose $30 Million From USADA Bust

It’s been a rough few weeks for former undisputed light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Up until Wednesday of UFC 200 fight week ‘Bones’ was all set to rematch his old rival Daniel Cormier. The two had shared a much more civilised feud in the lead up to their scheduled second meeting, or perhaps the beef before

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It’s been a rough few weeks for former undisputed light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Up until Wednesday of UFC 200 fight week ‘Bones’ was all set to rematch his old rival Daniel Cormier. The two had shared a much more civilised feud in the lead up to their scheduled second meeting, or perhaps the beef before UFC 182 simply could not be matched. Potentially that simmering down could also have been indicative of Jones maturing during his time away, but once that fateful Wednesday evening arrived, all the talk of growing up and seeking redemption stopped.

Instead of headlining the historic UFC 200 main event on July 9, ‘Bones’ found himself watching from the sidelines as Anderson Silva took his place. The failed drug test was announced by Jeff Novitsky on July 6, just 72 hours out from his now cancelled dance with ‘DC.’ Only one fight in to his long-awaited return and Jones had jumped right back in to the fire. It wasn’t long before he addressed the media during an emotional press conference, claiming he had ‘never heard of the drugs’ that had been found in his system.

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Former UFC title contender Chael Sonnen would later report that estrogen blockers, typically used when coming off a steroid cycle, were the substances detected by USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) on the June 16 screen. ‘Bones’ would argue that a tainted supplement was to blame for the suspect blood work, and all the while an underlying tone of impending doom began to swell around the picture of his future. UFC 200 came and went, and the reports indicated that Jones lost out on an eight figure payday for the event.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, UFC commentator Jon Anik estimates this latest blunder might well cost Jon Jones as much as $30 million over the course of the potential ban by the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission). Quotes by Adam Guillen Jr, of MMAMania:

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“The financial swing for Jones here is absolutely incredible. I’m sure for fans that’s not their foremost concern, but we’re sort of advancing the story a little bit here or at least talking about this several days after it happened. Antoine Walker, former Boston Celtic, made over $100 million in the NBA and blew all of it. Jon Jones is almost the opposite of that. The untold millions he isn’t realizing because he can’t make the walk in certain spots in his career. Now, they say he might have made from UFC 200 alone, so if he’s suspended for 12 months or 24 months, Kenny, that might be like a 25 or $30 million loss by ingesting whatever supplement he popped for.”

Most expensive supplement of all-time?

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Video: Angry Dana White Blasts Jon Jones For Failed Drug Test

Jon Jones found himself the centre of attention again this week, but for all the wrong reasons. During what was meant to be a busy fight week for the interim and former undisputed light-heavyweight champion turned out to be nightmare of epic proportions. A failed drug test dating back to June 16 of this year

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Jon Jones found himself the centre of attention again this week, but for all the wrong reasons. During what was meant to be a busy fight week for the interim and former undisputed light-heavyweight champion turned out to be nightmare of epic proportions. A failed drug test dating back to June 16 of this year was announced on Wednesday (July 6, 2016), right in the middle of the promotion’s busiest period ever. With three events yet to unfold at that stage, and Jones set to be taking part in the main event of the historic UFC 200 event tonight, all hell predictably broke loose.

‘Bones’ was removed from the main attraction rematch with current champion Daniel Cormier, leaving the UFC and ‘DC’ in a pickle with only 72 hours to find a replacement. Eventually former middleweight champ Anderson Silva stepped up to the plate, but the struggles and consequences for ‘Bones’ in this latest debacle have only just begun. The USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) B sample analysis also came back positive, and UFC president Dana White previously hinted at two banned substances on the flagged screen.

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An emotional statement from Jones this past Thursday afternoon was the first step for the troubled champion in attempting to resolve this daunting situation. He claimed that he had never intentionally taken the substances detected in the failed test, citing tainted supplements as the reason for getting popped. Dana White, needless to say, is furious with Jon Jones. He appeared on ‘The Herd’ to let out his frustrations on the late UFC 200 shuffle caused by Jones’ failed test.

“How many chances can you give this guy? How many breaks can you cut him? I still haven’t talked to Jon Jones, I haven’t and I’m not gonna. I’m not talking to Jon Jones, there’s no reasons for us to talk. I believe that he took a supplement and it had this stuff in it, I truly believe that, but at the same time; COME ON. You’re 28 years old, you’re probably the greatest talent to ever step foot in this sport. Call USADA and tell them what supplements you are taking. You already have this history of absolute madness, forget doing this to us, why would you do this to yourself?”

In the words of Nate Diaz, I’m not surprised (MF) by Dana White’s irate reaction.

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