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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Jon Jones has his UFC light heavyweight title back.
Now he wants the no-contest which caused him to have his championship taken away from him expunged from his record.
Jones, returning from his first USADA suspension last year, defeated Daniel Cormier via third-round head kick at UFC 214 in Anaheim in July 2017 to seemingly win the 205-pound belt of which he was stripped following legal trouble in 2015.
But Jones’ joy was short lived. After the bout, it was announced that Jones had failed a pre-fight drug test for Turinabol, a banned substance. Jones was given a second suspension, and the California State Athletic Commission changed the result of Jones’ win to a no-contest.
Jones, however, was cleared by CSAC to fight Alexander Gustafsson last Saturday night at The Forum in UFC 232’s main event after USADA ruled that a recent test result which showed “abnormalities” did not show new usage of Turinabol.
And as such, Jones believes what was originally a victory over Cormier should once again be officially considered as such.
“From what I understand, this stuff [Turinabol] can lay in your body for over seven years,” Jones said at the UFC 232 post-fight press conference following his third-round TKO of Gustafsson. “And from what I understand, when I fought the first time with Daniel Cormier, there was never a short-term metabolite found. There was no mid-term metabolite found. There’s only a long-term metabolite found. So who says this hasn’t been in my body since who knows how long? Maybe seven years ago? That’s why I’m looking at trying to get my first DC fight overturned.“
Such a move would be highly unusual to say the least. But while Jones gives Cormier props for winning the heavyweight belt, he truly believes DC was never a valid light heavyweight titleholder.
“He was never the light heavyweight champion,” Jones said. “He never beat me. This has been my era since 2011. I want to make that loud and clear. DC is no champ-champ. You talk about asterisks next to my name? There’s always going to be an asterisk next to the idea of him being a champ-champ.”
Now he wants the no-contest which caused him to have his championship taken away from him expunged from his record.
Jones, returning from his first USADA suspension last year, defeated Daniel Cormier via third-round head kick at UFC 214 in Anaheim in July 2017 to seemingly win the 205-pound belt of which he was stripped following legal trouble in 2015.
But Jones’ joy was short lived. After the bout, it was announced that Jones had failed a pre-fight drug test for Turinabol, a banned substance. Jones was given a second suspension, and the California State Athletic Commission changed the result of Jones’ win to a no-contest.
Jones, however, was cleared by CSAC to fight Alexander Gustafsson last Saturday night at The Forum in UFC 232’s main event after USADA ruled that a recent test result which showed “abnormalities” did not show new usage of Turinabol.
And as such, Jones believes what was originally a victory over Cormier should once again be officially considered as such.
“From what I understand, this stuff [Turinabol] can lay in your body for over seven years,” Jones said at the UFC 232 post-fight press conference following his third-round TKO of Gustafsson. “And from what I understand, when I fought the first time with Daniel Cormier, there was never a short-term metabolite found. There was no mid-term metabolite found. There’s only a long-term metabolite found. So who says this hasn’t been in my body since who knows how long? Maybe seven years ago? That’s why I’m looking at trying to get my first DC fight overturned.“
Such a move would be highly unusual to say the least. But while Jones gives Cormier props for winning the heavyweight belt, he truly believes DC was never a valid light heavyweight titleholder.
“He was never the light heavyweight champion,” Jones said. “He never beat me. This has been my era since 2011. I want to make that loud and clear. DC is no champ-champ. You talk about asterisks next to my name? There’s always going to be an asterisk next to the idea of him being a champ-champ.”
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