Jon Jones’ illustrious MMA career has been marred with the wild accusations of PED use. While the former light-heavyweight champion has always denied any such allegations, he continues to be surrounded by the controversy.
The question is whether or not Jon Jones has ever tested positive for steroids? Today, we take a look at Jon Jones’ history with performance-enhancing drugs and why many people have refused to consider him the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Jon Jones tested positive for an illegal substance back in 2016
Jon Jones found himself under the wrong headlines after he tested positive for hydroxy-clomiphene and letrozole metabolite, both known to be estrogen blockers. The then light-heavyweight champion of the world was given a one-year suspension. Estrogen blockers are mostly used to counter the side effects of steroids in the body. Needless to say, Jon Jones received a lot of criticism for the positive test.
Jones tested positive following his unanimous decision win over Ovine Saint Preux for the interim light-heavyweight championship. He was later stripped of the title. At the time of the positive test, Jon Jones was scheduled to take on Daniel Cormier in a title unification bout for the light-heavyweight title at UFC 200. However, after Jones tested positive, the fight was scrapped, with Cormier facing Anderson Silva in the co-main event.
Jones’ denied his use of steroids, and his coach stated that Jones tested positive for hydroxy-clomiphene and letrozole metabolite not because he was trying to suppress the side-effects of steroids, but the UFC fighter, at the time, was on Cialis, a male enhancement pill.
“I took an off-brand Cialis pill. It wasn’t actual Cialis, it was described to me as being a Cialis, so I thought it was a Cialis and I just took it.” After Rogan joked why he would need Cialis, Jones had this to say in response. “I have a huge c*** Joe.”
“I took the Cialis pill on June the 14th, June 16th, USADA came over to my house, 6 o’clock in the morning. ‘Hey, what’s up going,’ that coffee going, offering everybody water bottles, super nice hospitable, come in, I am laughing and joking between them, and I had no clue that test was going to be the test that derailed my life.”
Needless to say, opinions of fight fans continue to stay divided on whether or not Jones’ positive test was in relation to steroid use. Jon Jones was stripped of his UFC light-heavyweight championship.
Jon Jones tests positive for Turinabol after victory over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214
Once again Jon Jones was stripped of his light-heavyweight title after he tested positive for turinabol. After defeating Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 to secure the light-heavyweight championship, Jones popped for turinabol metabolite. This time around, Jones’ urine sample from pre-fight tested positive for turinabol which is an anaerobic steroid, that helps is muscle growth and while helping in recovery.
Considering it was the second time that Jones tested positive, USADA handed him a 4 year ban, revoked his MMA license, and was additionally handed a $205,000 fine by CSAC or the California State Athletic Commission. However, owing to his passed all the tests in the lead-up to UFC 214, except the sole urine test where he popped for the turinabol metabolite, the sentence was reduced to 15 months.
.@JonnyBones license revoked, fined $205,000 by CSAC for #UFC214 positive drug test https://t.co/6gQ140BJA0 pic.twitter.com/iZBDOfNNxY
— MMA mania (@mmamania) February 27, 2018
Jones maintained that he did not take turinabol intentionally, and provided his previous negative samples to prove his innocence, blaming tainted supplements for the positive results. Some even believe that Jon Jones was set-up considering how even the post-fight sample did not show a positive result, with multiple tests coming negative in the lead-up to the fight.
It won’t be wrong to say the string of positive results, and the controversies surrounding his life outside of the Octagon has definitely left a negative mark on his undeniable legacy as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
Also Read: Jon Jones’ UFC Salaries: How Much Money Has Jon Jones Earned in His UFC Career?