5 reasons why the UFC should've pulled Jon Jones from UFC 232 and suspended him

#4 Other fighters have been treated differently

Fighters like Junior Dos Santos were suspended for similar issues before being exonerated

One of the biggest issues surrounding the UFC’s deal with USADA has been the fact that so many fighters have found themselves in hot water for positive tests for either substances which don’t necessarily enhance performances, or trace amounts of banned substances that have come from apparently “contaminated supplements”. Regardless of the kind of failed test, however, USADA have generally been tough on the fighters, and until recently, any failed test was announced immediately before any investigation could begin.

That policy has changed recently, but it still feels like some fighters have been treated much differently to how Jones has been dealt with here. Lyoto Machida, for instance, was hit with an 18-month ban for the use of a substance called 7-keto-DHEA, which apparently doesn’t even enhance a fighter’s performance. And Junior Dos Santos, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Pedro Munhoz all spent time on the shelf before being exonerated after a USADA investigation.

So why isn’t Jones spending time on the shelf while this issue is investigated? Well, USADA and the UFC have suggested that this trace metabolite is a leftover from the previous positive test – well over a year ago – with Jeff Novitsky stating that the levels were merely “picograms”. Former UFC Middleweight Tom Lawlor, however, has stated that he received a 2-year ban for having 17 picograms of the banned substance ostarine in his system.

Essentially, the double-standards from the UFC surrounding Jones is incredibly questionable. It would’ve been far better to simply suspend him and wait for a proper investigation to take place, rather than move an entire show.