Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones may be set to hear from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) regarding his future by the end of this month.
Jones tested positive for the steroid Turinabol following an in-competition drug test conducted in relation to his UFC 214 championship bout in July 2017. “Bones” beat incumbent champ Daniel Cormier to recapture the light heavyweight strap, but saw the result subsequently overturned to a “no contest” by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
Consequently, Jones saw his MMA license revoked by the CSAC and was slapped with a $205,000 fine. The CSAC had also recommended that any reinstatement of his license would only be considered following the conclusion of his case with USADA.
Malki Kawa, Jones’ manager, appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday to update fans on the progression of the case (h/t ESPN.com)
“I’m very confident we will have a decision on this thing by the end of this month,” Kawa told Helwani. “They’re pushing hard. I know everyone involved is working hard to come to a resolution. I know that the UFC is anxiously waiting and we’re dealing with USADA on a daily basis. They’ve been really good with us as far as really investigating this thing and looking at it from a lot of different angles and stuff.”
“To me, this program should not try to punish guys that they know aren’t trying to cheat,” Kawa continued. “To them, the right thing could be he’s innocent but he’s still going to have suspension because he was negligent. So, you can get punished for being negligent, you can get punished for cheating. We’ll see what they come up with this time.
“I’m hoping he gets cleared in the next month or so and that the opportunity to fight presents itself. If it’s next year, early next year or whatever it is, I’m confident.”
