Two of Jon Jones’ latest drug tests have turned up positive for the same banned substance as in the past. In response, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has issued a statement.
“Mr. Jones has been cooperative with the NSAC and has submitted to multiple drug tests conducted by the NSAC, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).”
On back-to-back days, there were findings of DHCMT M3 detected 40 pg/mLm. However, there were also tests that provided no adverse findings.
The statement was done in anticipation of questions regarding Jon Jones’ testing.
Notably, there was no fight press conference for the UFC 235 fighters. Likely, in anticipation of questions concerning Jones’ drug tests. This past December, Jones took heat from a reporter about his failed drug tests. From the UFC perspective, the decision not to conduct a press conference for press week likely helped the company control the story.
Jeff Novitsky took questions about it during the full media scrum on Friday. In response to the NSAC statement, Novitsky indicated that it “would not affect the fight.”
“Based on the amount of testing that he’s have had over the last two months, these recent low level positives are the best evidence of what these experts are telling us,” said Novitsky. He indicated that this would mean that there would be no re-administration of the banned substance and no performance enhancing benefit.
He then went on to lay out the case that for their assertion that Jones is not taking PEDs and the banned substances that have been found are not new and are not providing benefit.
19-02-28 Jon Jones Statement by on Scribd
Payout Perspective:
Maybe the best job this week the UFC has done was to mute the Jon Jones drug doping story. With Jones complying with the requests to test with USADA and VADA on a weekly (if not daily) basis as fight day neared, its clear that the positive tests for a banned substance are hard to explain. But, one thing seems to be clear. Everyone is doing there best to clear Jones’ name. Jones was not put on provisional suspension under the terms of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and none of the protocol under the policy is being implemented. Likely, due to the uncommon occurrence that is happening. The question still remains how and why Jones is failing some drug tests.
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