Jon Jones talks about the attitude towards Daniel Cormier, USADA, returning to the UFC. Jon Jones talks about the attitude towards Daniel Cormier, USADA, returning to the UFC Why Jon Jones was stripped of his title

Indefinitely and deprives him of the title in connection with the incident that occurred last Sunday in Albuquerque. As is known, UFC champion became the culprit of the accident and fled the scene.

UFC President Dana White announced the organization's decision on the latest episode of FOX Sports Live, announcing that title fight in the floor heavyweight remains on the UFC 187 card as Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier face off for the vacant light heavyweight championship on May 23.

The head of the organization also said that he met with Jon Jones and his lawyer in Albuquerque.

"He didn't talk too much," Dana White stated. “Obviously, now he needs to deal with the solution of the problems that have arisen in court. His lawyer was also not very talkative. We went there in order to find out all the facts of the incident on the spot. A lot has been said in the press about those events, and some of them are not true. Some of the circumstances of the incident are speculation and we wanted to hear from John personally what really happened and to hear the opinion of his lawyer on this matter.

“Now John is very disappointed and upset. He wanted to go down in history as the greatest fighter of all time, but what happened, happened. We had to make this decision."

After UFC executives announced their decision, Jon Jones issued a formal apology on his Twitter account.

“I have to sort myself out. I apologize to everyone I let down, ”the ex-UFC champion wrote on the social network.

Recall that on Monday morning, John Jones, driving a car, drove through a red light and crashed into another car, which was driven by a 20-year-old pregnant woman. Another car was damaged in the accident, but there is no definite information about its driver - it was probably a parked vehicle.

According to clarified data, Vanessa Sonnenberg, who was injured in the accident, broke her arm during the incident. According to eyewitnesses, Jones left the scene, taking "a handful of money" from the car and jumping over the fence. The police officers who arrived at the scene did not have time to detain the light heavyweight, but one of them, who is a UFC fan, managed to identify him as current champion light heavyweight, Jon Jones. Vanessa Sonnenberg also recognized the famous athlete as the culprit of the accident.

Having searched the car abandoned by Jones, the police found a pipe with marijuana, documents related to sports activities light heavyweight, as well as documents for renting a car.

After Jon Jones was arrested and released on bail, police department officials said he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident that threatened the life and health of those injured in the accident. As for the drugs found in Jones' car, he has not yet been charged with possession of marijuana.

The maximum penalty for the charges is up to three years in prison and a fine.

“Obviously we have a guy like Jon Jones and he defended his title many times,” continued Dana White. “Thus, stripping him of the title and disqualifying him was not a very happy decision for us. But, as they say, the show goes on. Anthony Johnson is ready to fight and Daniel Cormier was happy to take the opportunity. In that sense, it was pretty easy for us, because as soon as Cormier found out about this situation, he said, “I'm ready. I want to get this opportunity. Expose me." He hit on me and Lorenzo from the very first moment, as soon as this incident became known. ”

On June 6, Daniel Cormier was scheduled to fight Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 68 in New Orleans, and now the organization's matchmakers are busy looking for a new opponent for Bader.

Dana White also said that he does not yet know what the future holds for Jon Jones in the UFC.

Recall that for the first failed test in 2016, Jones was suspended for one year and stripped of the interim champion title, and for the second, he was stripped of the undisputed title, suspended for 15 months, and the result won by Jones, the rematch with Daniel Cormier was changed to "failed".

“People are looking for excuses not to give me credit,” Jones said. “In both cases with the doping test knocked down, it was scientifically proven that the amount of banned substances found was so small that they could not affect my performances.

In the Viagra situation, it was proven that this was a mistake. Who takes Viagra expecting to be a better fight? We found a company, ordered the same pills, and they found something that shouldn't be there. Such a small amount that it won't make you better and stronger.

In the second situation, USADA said, "The level of steroids found in your system, John, is so low that it can be compared to a grain of salt thrown into an Olympic pool." Such a small number, it is obvious that they were taken unintentionally. It obviously won't help you knock out Daniel Cormier.

If, after all I've said, people continue to call me a cheater, that would mean that you just don't want to admit that I'm pretty f*cking good at this sport."

Recall that the second suspension of Jones came to an end and he will return to the octagon on December 29 for a title fight against Alexander Gustafsson.

Failed a drug test. A test taken from a fighter after weighing in for UFC 214, where he knocked out the champion, turned out to be positive Daniel Cormier and regained the title. The results of the analysis revealed traces of turinabol, a drug that positively affects the growth of strength, in Jones' blood. muscle mass and speed of recovery from heavy loads.

background

This is not the first doping scandal involving Jones. A little over a year ago, right before UFC 200, John had already been convicted of using illegal substances. Then the analyzes of the American showed the presence of antiestrogen drugs in the body. Their cheaters use after a course of steroids (such as turinabol) to improve the production of the body's own testosterone. Then Jones burst into tears at a special press conference with an excuse about a medicine for potency, knocked out a one-year disqualification. And the scandalous fighter began to serve her just a couple of months after the expiration of the previous one - a year before that, "Bones" was also suspended from performing in the cage due to a scandalous accident.

Recall that in 2015, shortly before the defense of the title from attacks Anthony Johnson, the then champion Jones became a participant in an accident: an athlete, allegedly in a state of drug intoxication (this is evidenced by a tube with traces of marijuana found in the glove compartment of his vehicle), crashed a rented car into a car driven by a pregnant woman. A well-known fighter, according to witnesses, hastily left the scene without bothering to check the condition of the injured woman.

Chemist. Jon Jones fails doping test again

UFC champion Jon Jones was again caught doping, and we remembered all the chemists, cheaters, alcoholics and other regime breakers from the world of MMA.

Now what?

Absolutely nothing good. Jon Jones, as a vicious recidivist, faces a ban of up to four years, the title he won in a fight with Daniel Cormier is likely to return back to DC, and the result of their rematch will be officially changed to “failed”. If the fate of the culprit of the scandal is approximately clear, then the UFC light heavyweight remained in the care of a very dubious company: the 38-year-old ex-champion (or again the champion) Daniel Cormier, who lost all title and candidate fights, was “killed” by the defeat Alexander Gustafsson and the unbeaten upstart Volkan Ezdemir with three victories under his belt.

What's next?

Before delving into the ever-murkier prospects of the most talented fighter in history, let's take a look at just how much of a great fighting career is in a coma.

Came to the UFC in 2008 as an undefeated prospect. The young fighter won the first three fights without question, forcing the experts to talk about himself as a real contender for the light heavyweight title. This is not surprising, given the style in which Jones destroyed what was considered at that time a formidable gatekeeper Stefan Bonnar. Then there was a controversial defeat by disqualification for illegal elbow strikes from Matt Hamill, another series of three confident victories and an exit to replace the injured Rashad Evans in a championship fight with Mauricio Rua. That evening on March 19, 2011, 23-year-old Jones smashed the star Shogun to pieces and became the youngest champion in UFC history. It seemed that the talent of a daring and young fighter by the standards of MMA was enough to become the main genius during the existence of the sport. The first few years it all went exactly like this: a light heavyweight record for the number of defenses (8), a record for the number of former champions beaten (6), a record for the number of defeated UFC hall of fame members (6) and a record for the number of light heavyweight wins ( 14) - Jones managed to do all this in less than five years!

***

“If John ends up getting a two or three year ban, it could be the end of his career for him. You talk about his legacy, but that seems to be the end of Jones' career.

How old is he now, 30 years old? The suspension will keep him inactive until 32 or 33, and when he comes back, what can he do? Sad. I do not know what to say. Usually I can find the words, but not this time."
This was said by Dana White, the president of the UFC, who suffered from the endless antics of his promotion's difficult child. One of the main rivals in Jones' career, Alexander Gustafsson, also agreed with White, openly advising the American to hang up his gloves on a nail. And this is not at all a manifestation of gloating towards the guilty fighter, but a completely objective assessment of his prospects. After all, in the life of Jones there was already the last chance that he missed. And even if he finds the motivation to return to the cage after a long downtime, he is unlikely to be able to regain the lost trust of the fans.

“The UFC was planning to have a Jones-Miocic fight, possibly in Detroit, in December of this year,” Dana White said in a recent interview, among other things. But, as you know, if you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.

Jon Jones is considered one of the best, and one of the most controversial fighters in MMA history. Former champion The UFC light heavyweight, who was suspended for a failed drug test for 15 months, recently learned that he could return to the octagon from October 28.

In an exclusive interview with ESPN, Jones talked about his feud with Daniel Cormier, his USADA suspension, his battle with depression, and his relationship with the UFC.

Describe your last year.

The past year has taught me a lot. It was a real test of my faith, but I passed it.

How did you react to the news about the failed doping test last August?

I remember when I found out about it. I was shocked. I was broken. I will never forget that day.

Did you think then that your career was over?

No, I never put an end to my career. It was just a huge step forward. I knew that I would have to show great patience.

At the time, people thought you were going to be suspended for two or four years. If you knew that day that you were going to be suspended for 15 months, what would be your reaction?

In those days, I wouldn't have believed you. In those days, I felt helpless.

When did you come to your senses?

Six months later, I was able to live with the thought that I had lost the belt, sponsors and job.

Can you call yourself happy now?

I regained my joy in life by seeking professional help. I turned to specialists, and I had to love myself again, as a father, as a husband, as a brother and as a friend. I went back to being Jonathan Jones, I learned to separate him from Jon Jones the fighter. After that, happiness returned to me. I remembered all the things that I can enjoy, like my family and my beautiful daughters. All this makes me really happy.

What kind of help did you turn to specialists?

Counselors, psychotherapists… I learned to deal with trauma and defeat. This helped me a lot.

When it was?

At the end of June.

The place is called "Guest House" in the city of Ocala.

How much time did you spend there?

I spent 30 days in the hospital. They taught me how to deal with the death of my mother and the loss of my career. Mom died in June 2017 and then I lost my title in August. Those two losses led me into a deep depression, after which I needed the help of professionals. I'm glad I contacted them.

How was it for you to know that Daniel Cormier regained his light heavyweight title in January?

Everything was fine. I understood the situation, I understood that the division could not stand still.

Any idea why you didn't pass the drug test?

No, until now no one understood how the banned substances ended up in my body, it scares me. Strongly scares. Sometimes fear turns into paranoia. Now I am extremely suspicious of everything that ends up in my body. Before this incident, we took every precaution by hiring professionals to keep track of everything I take and consult with USADA. So we kept a close eye on all the supplements, but now I'm watching everything in general. I only eat at certain restaurants, I only order drinks from certain places. I carry a bottle of water with me everywhere. I try not to eat in the same places, which is very disturbing.

Are you afraid that someone will put something in your food or drinks?

Yes. For the rest of my career, I will have to live with the idea that this can happen.

Are you happy with USADA's decision on your 15 month suspension?

It seems to me that the whole process of clarifying the circumstances took too much time. It is not easy to prove one's innocence. For me and my team, it didn't matter how long it would take. We just wanted to prove my innocence. If it took 15 months, so be it.

It would be great not to get suspended at all, but I think they've reached fair conclusions. Once they got proof that I didn't do it on purpose, they let me go.

According to a spokesman for the organization, your suspension was cut by 30 months because you chose to work with USADA to provide information that could lead to other athletes being doped. As a result, you were called a "scammer".

Have you denounced anyone?

USADA asked me to do different things during the proceedings, but I definitely didn't denounce anyone in MMA. I didn't give them information about any fighter, but I don't know anyone who has been doped. I think the whole story with the "informer" looks stupid. It's funny how people jump to conclusions about things they don't know. I have nothing more to say on this subject.

Does it annoy you when people call you a "scammer"?

Not annoying for several reasons. I know my place in our sport. I understand that I will never get rid of the controversial image in our sport. I understand that I will always be a guy who is interesting to discuss in any situation. I'm just happy to stay on the MMA radar. When you become one of the best athletes in the sport, people will start talking about you.

It seems to me that people close their eyes to the scientific conclusions regarding my case. They want to pretend that I'm guilty, but I got out of trouble because I framed someone else, but it's not true.

Your 15 month suspension ends right before a UFC event at Madison Square Garden. Have you been offered to perform on this card?

They offered, but only five or six weeks before the event. I don't want to come back unprepared, so I declined.

We are still negotiating about this fight, but most likely I will go against him. The contract has not yet been signed.

Will there be a belt fight?

The fight will be for the light heavyweight title.

Daniel Cormier is disappointed to be stripped of his 205 lb title. Do you agree with him?

I agree with him and understand his frustration, but I think he needs to look at the whole situation. If USADA concluded that I was completely innocent, maybe the belt should be returned to me right away. Part of me thinks I shouldn't fight Alexander Gustafsson for him because I didn't do anything illegal. In a sense, the title never belonged to Cormier. They just handed it to him.

Would you fight him a third time?

No. I already beat him twice. I have no personal complaints about him. I want to chase greatness, not fighters. Daniel Cormier needs to fight me again if he wants to be thought of as one of the best. I still have plenty of time for this.

What did you think when you saw him become heavyweight champion?

In fact, I was happy for Daniel Cormier. I thought he deserved the title. For the first time in his career, he became a true UFC champion. He was an incredibly successful light heavyweight, but I never considered him our division champion. Despite what happened, I have been a champion since 2011. But now Cormier has joined the ranks of the champion of the promotion and I was happy for him because I know how hard he works. The heavyweight championship is in safe hands.

Would you like to fight him for the heavyweight title?

Not really. If I challenged him in another division, it would mean that our conflict has gone beyond sports, but for me it is not. I didn't go home crying after our two fights. It was he. I don't want to take anything away from him or make his life harder in any way. I just want to take back what is mine. Let him have what he deserves.

He's been critical of USADA ever since your suspension was revealed. Do you think he is right about something?

No, I don't. I think he's just looking for another reason to justify the fact that I knocked him out. It was explained to me that the amount of steroids in my body could be compared to a pinch of salt in Olympic pool. Such an amount could not affect my ability. He shouldn't be mad at USADA. USADA didn't knock him out.

Have you ever knowingly taken illegal drugs?

No, I never consciously took illegal drugs, and in January I underwent a polygraph test, which confirmed my words. If you're one of the best in the sport, people prefer to ignore the results of the test, as if I have the ability to cheat him.

Are you afraid that failed drug tests will haunt you for the rest of your career?

No, I don't care. If they talk about you as one of the best in sports, there will always be opposing opinions. I have loyal fans and I feel their support. There are many people who have long decided that they do not like me, and there is no way I can change their mind. So I just learned to feel gratitude for my way of life, and I understand that critics are not asleep.

Recently on Instagram you criticized Georges St-Pierre. He seems to have pissed you off. What's the matter?

I was touched by Georges St-Pierre's recent comments about my situation. Over the years we have treated each other with respect, so I was surprised. But now it is already in the past, although he did not apologize to me. I still respect Georges.

Describe your relationship with the UFC.

I have a great relationship with the UFC. Mainly thanks to Ari Emanuel and Hunter Campbell. We talk on the phone every week or two. We mostly don't talk about business, they just ask how I'm doing and stuff like that. One gets the feeling that they care about me not only as an athlete, but also as a person. I am grateful to them for all their support over the past year. I owe them.

How about Dana White?

Relations with Dana are fine. I am open to making contact with him. I want to get closer to him when I return to the sport.

Officially!! Jon Jones suspended and stripped UFC title, Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier will play for the vacant light heavyweight championship belt.

The best fighter in the world regardless weight category is no longer a UFC champion.

The organization is suspending John Jones indefinitely and stripping him of his title in connection with an incident that occurred last Sunday in Albuquerque. As you know, the UFC champion became the culprit of the accident and fled the scene.

UFC President Dana White announced the organization's decision on FOX Sports Live, announcing that the light heavyweight title fight remains on the UFC 187 card as Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier compete for the vacant championship belt on May 23. light heavyweight.

The head of the organization also said that he met with Jon Jones and his lawyer in Albuquerque.

"He didn't talk too much," Dana White stated. “Obviously, now he needs to deal with the solution of the problems that have arisen in court. His lawyer was also not very talkative. We went there in order to find out all the facts of the incident on the spot. A lot has been said in the press about those events, and some of them are not true. Some of the circumstances of the incident are speculation and we wanted to hear from John personally what really happened and to hear the opinion of his lawyer on this matter.

“Now John is very disappointed and upset. He wanted to go down in history as the greatest fighter of all time, but what happened, happened. We had to make this decision."

After UFC executives announced their decision, Jon Jones issued a formal apology on his Twitter account.

“I have to sort myself out. I apologize to everyone I let down, ”the ex-UFC champion wrote on the social network.

Recall that on Monday morning, John Jones, driving a car, drove through a red light and crashed into another car, which was driven by a 20-year-old pregnant woman. Another car was damaged in the accident, but there is no definite information about its driver - it was probably a parked vehicle.

According to clarified data, Vanessa Sonnenberg, who was injured in the accident, broke her arm during the incident. According to eyewitnesses, Jones left the scene, taking "a handful of money" from the car and jumping over the fence. The police arrived at the scene before they could arrest the light heavyweight, but one of them, who is a fan of the UFC, managed to identify him as the reigning light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. Vanessa Sonnenberg also recognized the famous athlete as the culprit of the accident.

After inspecting the car abandoned by Jones, the police found a pipe with marijuana, documents related to the sports activities of the light heavyweight, as well as documents for renting a car.

After Jon Jones was arrested and released on bail, police department officials said he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident that threatened the life and health of those injured in the accident. As for the drugs found in Jones' car, he has not yet been charged with possession of marijuana.

The maximum penalty for the charges is up to three years in prison and a fine.

“Obviously we have a guy like Jon Jones and he defended his title many times,” continued Dana White. “Thus, stripping him of the title and disqualifying him was not a very happy decision for us. But, as they say, the show goes on. Anthony Johnson is ready to fight and Daniel Cormier was happy to take the opportunity. In that sense, it was pretty easy for us, because as soon as Cormier found out about this situation, he said, “I'm ready. I want to get this opportunity. Expose me." He hit on me and Lorenzo from the very first moment, as soon as this incident became known. ”

On June 6, Daniel Cormier was scheduled to fight Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 68 in New Orleans, and now the organization's matchmakers are busy looking for a new opponent for Bader.

Dana White also said that he does not yet know what the future holds for Jon Jones in the UFC.

Frame of the day. John Jones car.