Earlier today, UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones announced he was entering into rehab following the positive drug test that came back from the Nevada Athletic Commission’s out of competition testing from early December. Fan and media reaction has been rife with questions about the unusual circumstances around the test and the possible repercussions that could stem from it.
A couple of those questions have recently been answered in a pair of reports from MMA Junkie and the LA Times. With an expected bout tentatively set for July 11th between Jones and the winner of the Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson fight, both Reebok and the UFC are standing firmly behind the champ.
Reebok statement:
“We commend Jon for taking the necessary steps to address this issue, and we will support him in any way we can,” the apparel giant said in a prepared statement to MMAjunkie. “The status of Jon’s relationship with Reebok has not changed.”
UFC statement:
“I am proud of Jon Jones for making the decision to enter a drug treatment facility,” White said in a prepared statement. “I’m confident that he’ll emerge from this program like the champion he truly is.”
The one thing that could put a damper on this proposed July match-up is that the Nevada Athletic Commission is exploring disciplinary action. Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, had this to say on the matter:
“The commission will address this [out-of-competition] anomaly,” Bennett said. “That is an issue we will take up and [fighter discipline] is certainly an option available to the commission.”
The question now is, will NSAC sanctions kill that fight? Keep your browser locked on Bloody Elbow for the latest news on this developing story.
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