UFC's most controversial fighter tested positive for drugs again, but this time he won't be punished
- MMA fighter Jon Jones tested positive for a trace of a long-term metabolite steroid that he had previously been suspended for before UFC 232 in December, according to a report.
- Jones, however, won't be punished, as other tests turned up clean, and there is science to suggest the substance has lingered in his system.
- Jones previously served a 15-month suspension for the same steroid and had tested positive for two banned substances and cocaine.
MMA fighter Jon Jones was tested in competition before his UFC 232 fight against Alexander Gustafsson, and a trace amount of the long-term oral Turinabol metabolite was found in his sample, according to MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi.
The steroid metabolite is the same that Jones had previously tested positive for, leading to a 15-month suspension (it was shortened due to Jones' cooperation in other matters) in 2017. The test was administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) during weigh-ins for UFC 232 on December 28.
However, Jones won't be punished by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for the recent test because there was "no evidence that Jones had re-administered a banned substance and no performance-enhancing benefits," per Raimondi.
CSAC executive officer Andy Foster told Raimondi that subsequent tests done by the commission, VADA, and UFC partner the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) came back clean.
UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky told MMA Fighting that there is some science to suggest that the traces of the long-term metabolite could pop up during training or weight-cutting. There was no evidence of the short-term metabolite.
"There was no parent compound and none of the short- or medium-term metabolites, which tend to stick around for three or weeks," Novitzki told MMA Fighting. "So this is even more indicative that for whatever reason this long-term metabolite is just hanging around in these tissues and they get expressed when you're going through weight loss."
Novitzki said that USADA is not granting Jones a "get-out-of-jail-free card," noting that in each test, they're looking for different things.
Jones won UFC 232 by third-round TKO to regain the UFC light heavyweight belt.
Jones, widely considered one of the best fighters in UFC, has a history of failed drug tests. Jones also tested positive for two banned substances in 2016. In 2014, he tested positive for cocaine.
In February of 2018, Jones had his fighting license revoked, but was reinstated in December.