MANILA, Philippines – Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White admitted that he had the knowledge about light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ positive pre-fight drug test prior to this past weekend’s UFC 182.
In an interview on FOX Sports 1’s “America’s Pregame” live segment, the head honcho revealed that Jones had tested positive for cocaine metabolite before UFC 182, but since it is not a performance-enhancing drug, he never considered cancelling the pay-per-view headliner.
“I was shocked obviously. This is one of those situations where it’s so different than if a guy gets busted for performance-enhancing drugs. You worry about the person first, you forget about the fighting and the work side of it, and worry about the person, Jon Jones the person,” he stated.
Benzoylecgonine, a topical analgesic and indicator of cocaine use, was found in the system of the 27-year-old Jones after a random drug screening that was administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on December 4.
Since the aforementioned substance is not banned and regarded as a drug that might not affect the outcome of the bout, the sanctioning body was unable to prevent Jones from defending the UFC light heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier.
“Number one, he was healthy. Number two, the reason you would stop the fight and the hammer would drop on the guy is if he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Jon Jones, he was contracted to fight. We have a contract with him and everybody thinks we can just say that the fight is off,” White explained.
Jones went on by astoundingly defeating Cormier via unanimous decision after utilizing his diverse leverage in the stand-up trade and scoring blatant statement-making takedowns.
The 45-year-old promoter remains optimistic that the current situation of Jones will turn out on a positive note for him in the future.
“Everything happens for a reason. It’s a great thing this happened. It’s a great thing this guy made a mistake. Who would have known? We would never know. We’ll get him the help that he needs,” he stressed.
White also commended Jones’ decision to voluntarily submit himself into a rehabilitation facility to address the problem.
“I talked to him yesterday before he went in, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to talk to him tonight. He was in a good place going in there and I’m sure he’s in an even better place today. I look forward to talking to him today,” White said. – Rappler.com
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