UFC Light heavyweight champ Jon Jones announced on Tuesday that he was to spend time at a drug treatment facility after failing a random drug test for cocaine in December.
The news comes just days after Jones retained his light heavyweight title and won an impressive $500,000 after defeating Daniel Cormier by a unanimous decision at UFC 182 in Las Vegas.
According to Yahoo News, Jones had failed a random drug test given to him on December 4 last year by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). Apparently, Jones tested positive for benzoylecgonine, which is the main metabolite in cocaine.
So how was Jones able to fight in January if he failed the random test back in December? Well, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency code, which the NAC follows, benzoylecgonine is not banned out-of-competition.
So it was for this reason that the NAC was unable penalise or stop Jones from fighting in UFC 182. Yahoo News reports that the NAC conducted a follow up drugs test later in December that Jones passed.
Here’s what the UFC and Dana White had to say respectively via the UFC.com website.
Statement from the UFC: “We support UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ decision to enter a drug treatment facility to address his recent issue.
“While we are disappointed in the failed test, we applaud him for making this decision to enter a drug treatment facility. Jon is a strong, courageous fighter inside the Octagon, and we expect him to fight this issue with the same poise and diligence.
“We commend him on his decision, and look forward to him emerging from this program a better man as a result.”
Statement from Dana White, UFC President: “I am proud of Jon Jones for making the decision to enter a drug treatment facility.
“I’m confident that he’ll emerge from this program like the champion he truly is.”
