So much for a Jon Jones comeback. Less than a month after his UFC 214 victory over Daniel Cormier, the 30-year-old MMA fighter has, once again, tested positive for a banned substance. Sources say Jones is now at risk of losing his title.
According to MMAFighting.com, Jones tested positive for the anabolic steroid turinabol, which could result in a suspension spanning more than two years. TMZ reports Jones will be stripped of his title with the belt going back to Cormier. UFC president Dana White announced that a decision has not been made.
"He has not been stripped yet but he has got to go through the process," White told the Sun.
The UFC released a statement on the matter:
This is the second time Jones has tested positive for a banned substance. In 2016, he was slapped with a one-year suspension after clomiphene and letrozole were found. He insisted he failed the test because he took a male enhancement pill without knowing it contained a banned substance.
"I have always maintained my innocence and I am very happy I have been cleared in any wrong doing pursuant to the allegations made that I had intentionally taken a banned substance,” he said in a statement. "I am pleased that in USADA's investigation they determined I was ‘not a cheater of the sport.’ Being cleared of these allegations was very important to me."