Jon Jones has been pulled out of UFC 200 after returning a failed drugs test to the USADA.
As reported by MMA Fighting, Jones potential violation was flagged by an out-of-competition sample taken on June 16.
Jones does have the right to have a b sample tested, but with time limitations the light-heavyweight title bout between Jones and Daniel Cormier has been scrapped from Saturday night’s card at the T-Mobile Arena, with the co-main event of Brock Lesnar vs Mark Hunt set to headline.
UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky said in a statement:
The UFC was notified tonight that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has informed Jon Jones of a potential anti-doping policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 16, 2016.
USADA, an independent administrator of the anti-doping policy, will handle results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that under the UFC anti-doping policy, there is a full, fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.
However, because Jones was scheduled to fight Cormier this coming Saturday, July 9 in Vegas, there is insufficient time for a full review before the scheduled bout, and therefore the bout has been removed from the fight card.
DC may yet feature on the card, with UFC president Dana White suggesting a very late replacement could be found.
White said:
Maybe someone will pop up and fight Cormier at the last minute. Stranger things have happened.
Maybe there is hope…
Fans are understandably disappointed…
Jones could face serious consequences based on further investigation.
The troubled fighter was stripped of his title following a hit-and-run in April of 2015, and was arrested earlier this year for an alleged breach of probation.
As it was an out-of-competition test, concern is over performance enhancing drug use as opposed to recreational drugs, and that could be another probation violation.
White added:
I don’t know, we have to see how everything goes down. Jones might get two years for this, you know? We’ll see.
It is the second time the UFC has lost the headline to their bi-centennial show, with Conor McGregor’s scheduled bout with Nate Diaz pulled amid a battle between the Irishman and the promotion over media obligations.
Disappointed does not cover it.
