Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has released a statement thanking the CSAC for allowing him to fight in Los Angeles next weekend, while insisting he’s a clean athlete following an atypical drug test sample collected earlier this month.
It’s hard to imagine Jon Jones or the UFC brass are having a very merry Christmas season at the moment. On Sunday, UFC President Dana White, along with Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitsky, announced that an abnormality had been discovered in a recent drug test sample collected from ex-light heavyweight champ Jones. ‘Bones,’ who was set to return this weekend at UFC 232 in Las Vegas, NV, had trace amounts of a metabolite of Turinabol in his system. That’s the same anabolic agent that saw Jones banished for 15 months following a positive test after UFC 214 in 2017.
UFC 232, White announced, was moving to Los Angeles, as the CSAC were willing to license Jones while the Nevada Athletic Commission was not. USADA, meanwhile, deemed the atypical test to be the result of the drug remaining in Jones’ system for over a year — not from continued use.
Ergo, Jones could still fight, just not in Nevada. Daniel Cormier, for one, was livid.
Sunday night, Jones released the following statement via social media:
“I’m focused on achieving my ultimate goal of reclaiming my light heavyweight title,” Jones began. “I have willingly submitted to every USADA test in the lead up to this fight, and USADA has confirmed what I’ve been saying all along, that I’m a clean athlete. I sincerely thank the California State Athletic Commission and Andy Foster for doing the right thing and supporting me through this process. I cannot wait to fight Alex Gustafsson this Saturday December 29th at the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood.”
“Can’t bend me, can’t break me,” Jones finished.
Jones, it’s worth noting, recently rejected the suggestion — made by the CSAC — that he undergo additional testing with VADA.
I’m focused on achieving my ultimate goal of reclaiming my Light Heavyweight title. I have willingly submitted to every USADA test in the lead up to this fight and USADA has confirmed what I've been saying all along, that I'm a clean athlete. I sincerely thank the California
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 24, 2018
State Athletic Commission and Andy Foster for doing the right thing and supporting me through this process. I cannot wait to fight Alex Gustafsson this Saturday December 29th at the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood.
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 24, 2018
Can’t bend me, can’t break me. #Champion2018
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 24, 2018
