Written by Brett Okamoto at ESPN.com
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones failed a drug test ahead of his championship win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 last month in Anaheim, California, UFC president Dana White said Tuesday.
White denied that the UFC has stripped Jones of the title, as TMZ reported.
In a statement released Tuesday, the UFC said Jones’ failed test stemmed from an in-competition sample that was collected at his weigh-in on July 28, the day before his fight against Cormier.
According to TMZ, which was first to report news of the failed test, Jones tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol. White did not comment on the banned substance for which Jones tested positive.
“I always know what to say. I don’t know what to say about this one,” a somber White told reporters Tuesday, calling the news “unbelievable.”
“These things never come at a good time. They’re always bad, especially with somebody like Jon Jones. In my opinion, he’s the best to ever do it. That makes it even more unfortunate.”
Jones’ camp released a statement Tuesday, saying, “We are all at a complete loss for words right now. Jon, his trainers, his nutritionists and his entire camp have worked tirelessly and meticulously the past 12 months to avoid this exact situation. We are having the samples tested again to determine the validity or source of contamination.
“Jon is crushed by this news, and we are doing whatever we can as a team to support him.”
This is the second failed drug test of Jones’ tumultuous career. The UFC was forced to pull Jones from a scheduled headliner against Cormier just days before UFC 200 in July 2016, after he tested positive for anti-estrogenic agents. Jones later told the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that failed test was the result of an unmarked sexual enhancement pill.
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