Jon Jones’ career is in limbo as he awaits results on a ‘B’ sample. If it’s anything like the ‘A’ sample, he could be out of the fight game for a long time.
The 28-year-old faced the press in Las Vegas this afternoon and attempted to explain why USADA had flagged him for an anti-doping violation.
Jones insist he has done nothing wrong and he will appeal whatever sanction the anti-doping body hand down. “This won’t break me,” he insisted.
Emotional Jon Jones sounds resigned to his fate https://t.co/wT4Tl0vsv2
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 7, 2016
Jones defeated Ovince St Preux in the headliner for UFC 197, in April. It was his return to the octagon after being stripped of his light heavyweight title, in 2015, for his role in a D.U.I hit and run accident.
Was was due to face Daniel Cormier at UFC 197 until the reigning champion was injured. The pair were elevated to UFC 200’s main event when Conor McGregor was pulled from his fight with Nate Diaz.
Jones was asked where he was when he learned of the failed drug test. He replied:
“I was in my [hotel] room, getting ready to cut some weight and go work out.
“My immediate response? I was obviously pretty devastated to find out.”
Jones took a view that, “shitty” as his current plight was, the latest adversity is all part of God’s plan to make him a better person. He continued, “My attitude is to continue to fight. To try and be optimistic and positive about the situation.
“I’m going to try and figure out what good can come from this in my personal life.”
And that was that. We were left with the sorry sight of the UFC 200 banner, at the T Mobile arena, expunged of Jon Jones’ unsmiling face.
Life goes on in Vegas without ‘Bones’.