The
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced that Jon Jones, the former UFC light
heavyweight champion has received a 15-month suspension for his second
anti-doping offense. He had faced a four-year suspension after he tested
positive for a steroid after his fight against current champ Daniel Cormier at
UFC 214. The California State Athletic Commission revoked his license and hit
him with a huge fine that led to the UFC stripping Jones of the title. The CSAC
didn’t suspend him though which put the call to do so in the hands of the USADA.
The USADA imposed the 15-month suspension after an evidentiary hearing with an
independent arbitrator on 9/15. Before the hearing they took 30 months off a
possible sentence because they believed that Jones didn’t intentionally cheat.
So his suspension is retroactive to 7/28/2017, the date his positive sample was
collected, making him eligible for return on 10/28, which is five days before
UFC 230 on 11/3. The Madison Square Garden show as of this moment doesn’t have a
main event. But even though UFC President Dana White wants to put Jon Jones back
in the octagon he says it will not be at UFC 230. Jones would love to have
another fight against Cormier but Cormier is only willing to fight Brock Lesnar. |