Say It Ain’t So Jones, Please Say It Ain’t So
UFC 214 was one of the greatest fight cards ever, but now we may have to look at the main event a little differently
For a moment last night, Jon Jones stole some of the spotlight from Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor. When everyone in the fight game should have been paying attention to and talking about Mayweather-McGregor, they were forced to pivot and cover (at least somewhat) the breaking Jones news. There really isn’t too much to say other than this is unbelievable. And had it not been for the Cleveland Cavaliers trading Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, this would have dominated the storylines everywhere.
Just a few weeks ago, we witnessed what appeared to be one of the most dominant comeback stories at UFC 214. Daniel Cormier is an incredible athlete and fighter, he was the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and the only man he had ever lost to was Jones. Jones was coming off a one year suspension for violating the anti-doping policy, and on top of that, he was also coming off having fought only 3 times in the past 3 years due to a whole slew of problems in his personal life.
Not only was Jones impressive, but there wasn’t even a hint of ring rust. He didn’t just win, but beat Cormier in devastating fashion. The brutal head kick he landed followed by a multitude of strikes on the ground resulted in the first knockout loss Cormier had ever suffered. For a moment, it seemed as though Jones had put his past behind him (for the umpteenth time) and was on his way to quite possibly fully realizing the mass spectrum of his God-given, natural talent and abilities. There was an immediate callout of Brock Lesnar, and just last night it was learned plans were in the making for Jones to challenge current UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic for his heavyweight title. Jon has long said he had plans to one day move up to the heavyweight division and challenge himself there, and in fighting either Lesnar or Miocic, that heavyweight debut would have been one for the ages.
Last night changed (at least for the moment) everything. Plans and visions for Jones’ future are on hold until further notice. This is a potential anti-doping policy violation. Despite what Twitter and the rest of social media tell you and however they’re painting Jon, he is afforded a full and fair legal process to clear his name of any wrongdoing. Jones and his team are already laying the groundwork to fight and hopefully disprove this damning allegation.
We are all at a complete loss for words right now. Jon, his trainers, his nutritionists and his entire camp have worked tirelessly and meticulously the past 12 months to avoid this exact situation. We are having the samples tested again to determine the validity or source of contamination. Jon is crushed by this news and we are doing whatever we can as a team, to support him. — Malki Kawa (Jon Jones’ manager)
For what it’s worth, I desperately hope the reports are wrong and this is all a mistake. And not the “I unknowingly took something I shouldn’t have taken” mistake most athletes use today as their defense. (Jones has also previously used this defense technique.) But a real mistake. A mistake as in the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) got it all wrong. The sample was tainted or it belonged to someone else or they made a grave error — something along those lines. Something to fully clear Jones’s name and prove he does not cheat to win.
Jon Jones is not perfect. He’s made countless mistakes but we all have. Not a single one of us is perfect. And despite his troubled past (including his most recent anti-doping policy violation), I’m rooting for him. Jones is one of the greatest fighters ever, and with his talents, skill-set, and results inside the octagon, he’s arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. I echo Joe Rogan’s post in that I am genuinely bummed. I had just put my son to bed when my sister-in-law broke the news to me via text. To say I was stunned would possibly be the greatest understatement of all time.
There is a need to reserve judgment until more details emerge and Jones is granted the same legal process every athlete deserves. Until then, casting judgment and demanding punishment are unfounded. Yes, it is true, this doesn’t look good for Jones, but it doesn’t mean we bury him immediately. If he is found to be guilty, this could very well be the end of his career, which sets his life on a completely different trajectory. But if he is cleared of any wrongdoing and was innocent in this matter, all those presently holding the shovels owe Jon an apology.
