Once a shining star and possibly the future of MMA, Jon Jones has seen his potential, and maybe his fighting career, flicker away. It was announced today that the superstar would be suspended one year for use of illegal substances.
The substances, which were apparently found in a contaminated sexual enhancement pill, caused Jones to test positive in a drug test leading up to UFC 200. While the board found that the pill was contaminated, they believed that Jones didn’t do enough research regarding the pill to warrant a suspension overhaul.
The suspension and the positive tests ended up causing Jones to miss out on a potential $10 million dollar payday had he fought Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title at UFC 200 back in July. The decision is retroactive to when the initial ban was put in place back in July of 2016, meaning that he will be eligible to fight again in July 2017.
As the sport continues to try and gain relevancy with the mainstream crowd, marketable stars like Jones are tough to find. His domination of the sport bordered on Mike Tyson levels and whether it be with the law or with drugs, Jones can’t get his name out of the headlines.
While he may return and perform better than ever, his name will forever be tainted due to this string of idiocy that has lasted for more than two years now. He needs to change before the entire sport passes him by.
