Jon Jones claims he “never took steroids.”
The former UFC heavyweight champion, who also held hold at 205 pounds, has failed multiple drug tests throughout his career. He was first pinched ahead of UFC 200 after testing positive for Clomiphene and Letrozole, then ended up back on the hot seat when he flunked for Turinabol at UFC 214, changing his victory over Daniel Cormier to a “No Contest.”
Then came the picogram fiasco ahead of UFC 232.
“Never took steroids,” the 39-year-old Jones said in an interview
with ALF Global (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “It was a supplement found in my body. It was proven to come from a supplement company that I was using. It was a tainted supplement that I was using. The amount of this substance that was in my body was so small that it took very expensive scientists to be able to even find it, and the supplement that was found in my body has zero performance-enhancing effects – zero. And that’s very well documented. For some reason, the fans ignore all that, and they’re like, ‘Something about steroids, he’s guilty.’ I never did, and that was proven. It’s funny because fighters are like, ‘Jon Jones is a knucklehead, but he’s brilliant enough to do steroids and trick the UFC’s scientists.’ It’s like, which one is it? Am I the knucklehead or the mad genius, who somehow got away with using steroids?”
Judging by the 15-month suspension he served after UFC 214, it’s clear he didn’t get away with it.
Jones had a laundry list of excuses following every positive drug test, with the exception of cocaine, which he readily admitted to using. For UFC 200, it was gas station dick pills. At UFC 214, it was a tainted supplement. At UFC 232 (and then again at UFC 235), it was picogram pulsing. He wasn’t the only fighter with pulsing issues, but Jones always got special treatment.
Jones (28-1, 1 NC) remains under contract with UFC but has no immediate plans to compete.
