Three out of five ain’t bad
The details of some of Jon Jones’ increased drug testing ahead of UFC 235 have become available and the results are mixed.
Two of the five test results released by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Thursday showed traces of the M3 metabolite that Jones has been testing positive for since his July 2017 fight with Daniel Cormier. The other three tests came back negative for the Turinabol metabolite.
The commission is not taking any action against Jones for these findings because there is “no scientific or medical evidence that the athlete would have an unfair advantage leading up to, or for, his contest.”
Jones, as expected, is happy that he is not facing any discipline and isn’t going to let any controversy stemming from these results get in the way of his performance on Saturday.
“I just wish fans would not just look at the headlines and actually click on the links and learn what’s really going on,” Jones said (via MMAJunkie). “But I’ve set myself free from any level of embarrassment. I have no shame. I’ve said many times that I’ve never knowingly done anything to do any type of sports enhancement, drugs or whatnot. Now, I’m just here getting back to what’s important.”
What’s important is challenger Anthony Smith, who was not surprised in the least by Jones’ latest test results.
“It’s expected,” Smith said at the UFC 235 open workouts (via MMAJunkie). “I didn’t have any doubt in my mind. For whatever reason, he tends to pulse when he gets close to a fight. I expected it. I would’ve been more shocked if it wasn’t there.”
Whether it’s there or not, Jon Jones will be there Saturday night and his light heavyweight title will be on the line.
Friday Notebook
-As of press time, only Anthony Smith, Robbie Lawler, and Alejandro Perez are left to weigh-in. Every other UFC 235 fighter made weight successfully. We will update if there are any issues with any of the remaining fighters.
-Colby Covington interrupted Kamaru Usman’s open workout yesterday. He appeared in the crowd with a megaphone yelling “The real champ is here!” Kamaru Usman replied afterwards, “I thought it was a bum.”
-Vitor Belfort has officially signed with ONE Championship. “Vitor is hands down, one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts,” ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in a press release. “He is a legend across the world, and we are thrilled to have him as ONE expands into South America.”
-Paige VanZant revealed that it was another arm fracture that forced her out of her planned UFC 236 bout with Poliana Botelho.
In case you missed it
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–Fights to Make Next after UFC Prague
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