Following USADA’s decision to suspend Jon Jones for his failed out-of-competition drug test, the UFC has taken action by stripping Jones of his interim light heavyweight title. UFC president Dana White confirmed the news to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
“It doesn’t make sense,” White said. “He was the interim champion because he should have been fighting for the title [in April]. We gave him this, ‘You were supposed to fight for the title, here it is.'”
This makes Jones the first fighter in UFC history to ever be stripped of a belt multiple times. In 2015, Jones lost his undisputed light heavyweight title due to his behavior outside the Octagon, which included a positive drug test for cocaine leading up to his fight with Daniel Cormier, and a hit-and-run collision in Albuquerque which proved to be the tipping point. Jones is currently under an 18-month probation sentence after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.
White didn’t mince words on the numerous problems involving Jones over the past few years.
“Jon Jones has blown it in every way shape and form a guy with that much talent can blow it,” White said. “Greatest talent ever and the biggest screw-up ever.”
Jones’ suspension will end on July 6th, 2017, with the ban retroactive to the date of his failure for clomiphene and Letrozole, both anti-estrogen agents. “Bones” has also been removed from the UFC rankings.
As for the state of the light heavyweight division itself, reigning champion Daniel Cormier will rematch Anthony Johnson at UFC 206 on December 10th.
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