The 29 year old two-time former champ has had his belt stripped once again. Back at UFC 197, when Jones was supposed to fight DC but took on OSP instead, he re-gained his title.
“Jon Jones has blown it in every way shape and form a guy with that much talent can blow it. Greatest talent ever and the biggest screw-up ever.” – Dana White
The first times Jones was stripped of his belt was in 2015 after his hit and run charges.
He’s the first fighter to ever be stripped of his title for disciplinary reasons, any previous times it has been due to injuries or inactivity.
Jones and Cormier were supposed to have their rematch at UFC 200 until Jones had some issues with a drug test. Issues that involved failing it. Him and his camp blamed it on tainted male enhancement drugs.
It’ll still be a while until we see, arguably, the greatest MMA fighter ever, back in the Octagon. USADA has given Jones a year suspension, set to expire in the summer, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission have yet to rule on his case.
Fans are only willing to forgive somebody so many times for making similar mistakes. Every time this happens, Jones comes back all humble and apologetic, saying he’s learned from his mistakes, until it happens again.
This news may come as a surprise to some people, who already thought Jones was stripped of the belt. Daniel Cormier’s interim belt will now become the real deal, and if he can hold onto it long enough, we’ll finally get to see the rematch between the two fighters with some of the most intense bad blood we’ve ever seen inside and outside of the octagon.
If being stripped for the first time didn’t encourage Jones to get his act together, do you think this second time will make a difference? Sometimes it’s hard to seperate someone’s performance inside of the cage with their antics outside of the cage, Tony Ferguson is another example. People are generally rubbed the wrong way by some of his comments or how he’s behaved, but you can’t deny the guy is a killer inside the cage.
At this point, there aren’t a lot of people willing to stand up and give Jones the benefit of the doubt anymore, but hopefully he’s able to sort out his issues and focus on training and his legacy as an athlete.
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