UFC News: CSAC fines Jon Jones $205,000; revokes his fight license

What's the story?

On Tuesday morning, Jon Jones appeared before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for a hearing related to his alleged doping violation, which was brought to light following UFC 214.

After a lengthy hearing, the Commission voted to revoke Jones' fight license and fine him $205,000.

In case you didn't know...

The former light heavyweight champion had tested positive for Turinabol, which is a banned anabolic steroid. The test was conducted in relation to Jones' bout with Daniel Cormier at the UFC 214 pay-per-view, which was held in July 2017 at Anaheim, California.

The heart of the matter

Jones had secured a third-round TKO against Cormier at UFC 214 to reclaim the light heavyweight champion. However, he was provisionally suspended in August 2017 when USADA flagged him for a potential doping violation.

In September 2017, news broke out that Jones' B Sample tested positive for Turinabol as well. Jones' win was then overturned to a 'no contest' by CSAC, and he was stripped of the light heavyweight title.

The former champion insisted that he didn't knowingly take the steroid, and his supplement may have been tainted. He has since been awaiting the adjudication process.

Cut to the present, Jones has presented his case in front of the CSAC.

"You can call me many things. You can call me a party boy, wild child, knucklehead...but a cheater is something I will never admit to. That’s something I’ll never say that I am."

"You guys know this makes no freaking sense. Why would I do steroids a week before my fight?"

Jones maintained his position on being not guilty of taking any steroids to gain an unfair advantage inside the octagon.

"I did not do steroids. I swear to my heavenly father that I am not wrong. I swear on everything."

"No one has been more of an advocate (in the UFC) of being against performance-enhancing drugs."

After careful consideration of all the points made and the evidence provided at the hearing, the Commision decided to revoke Jones' license and have him pay 40% of his fight purse from UFC 214.

What's next?

The 30-year-old former champ will now await sanctions from USADA, the UFC's official anti-doping partner. He will likely face a suspension ranging from 18 to 24 months.

The CSAC also mentioned that it probably won't consider reinstating Jones' license until he successfully serves his imminent USADA suspension.

Correction: He can reapply in August 2018, but again, CSAC won’t accept an application until his USADA hearing is complete and he serves whatever punishment USADA gives him. That could very well go past Aug. 2018. Unclear what USADA will give him at this time.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 27, 2018

Author's take

Jon "Bones" Jones is widely hailed as one of the greatest MMA fighters to have stepped inside the octagon. It's indeed a pity that he's been getting in so much trouble for the past few years.

On the bright side, however, he is only 30 years old and has plenty of time to get his act together. We can only hope that he stays out of trouble henceforth and is able to just do what he does best - fight.