Jon Jones Out of UFC 200 After Potential Anti-Doping Violation [UPDATED]
The match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier that was scheduled for UFC 200 on Saturday in Las Vegas is off now due to a potential anti-doping violation, UFC has announced.
UFC was notified that USADA has flagged Jon Jones for a potential anti-doping policy violation.
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 7, 2016
Jon Jones is out of UFC 200, per Jeff Novitzky. He has been flagged by USADA stemming from a test on 6/16.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 7, 2016
A devastated-looking Dana White said at a press conference that Jones’ ‘A’ sample failed, and that he has a right to have a ‘B’ sample tested. However, that could not happen quickly enough for the scheduled fight to take place. Brock Lesnar versus Mark Hunt will now be the main event.
Dana White did not specify which substance Jones tested positive for, and mentioned the possibility that he could be banned for two years now due to this test. Jones’ opponent, Daniel Cormier, was understandably not happy with this:
Cormier: I’m very disappointed. I worked really hard for this.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 7, 2016
Jones, whose only loss in UFC was by disqualification in 2009, is no stranger to controversy. He was arrested for DWI after totaling his Bentley in 2012, tested positive for cocaine in January 2015, and was stripped of his light heavyweight title in April of 2015 after a a hit-and-run accident. He had been very conspicuously fighting to rebound from these issues.
Correction: A previous version of this piece said that Jones had never lost in UFC.