UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has failed a drug test and entered a treatment facility. The UFC confirmed that they would be supporting Jones in his decision to get help. The test came on December 4th 2014. It was an unannounced test by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and it showed that Jones had levels of benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite in cocaine. The release of the news comes just days after Jones won a five round war over Daniel Cormier at UFC 182. There will be no suspension and that result will not change, as cocaine is not a performance enhancing drug and the failure was not in the week of the fight. However, this news is hugely damaging to Jones and the UFC. He is their marquee star and is thought to have popped a pay per view buy rate of 750,000 for UFC 182. He's without doubt the greatest fighter in the world right now, but his personal issues are making him a disaster for the company. There's been a DUI in the past and his attitude to MMA fans and fellow fighters has left a lot to be desired at times. The cocaine failure is the biggest controversy yet. This is just a month after Reebok named Jones as the face of their much ballyhooed MMA brand. Since the drug failure, they've said that nothing has changed in this regard. However, just like Nike dropped Jones last year, Reebok may now be considering his viability as a role model. Despite the UFC, and UFC President Dana White, publicly coming out in support of Jones, the company will be furious behind the scenes. He's their best fighter and their most marketed man, so they have to stand by him. But part of Dana White must be desperate to rip strips off Jones. There's a level of idiocy in using criminal drugs a month before the UFC's biggest fight in a year. If this was a lower level fighter, White would be packing him out of the door. Remember White's unforgiving attitude to fighters who mess up on The Ultimate Fighter with drinking or failed weight cuts? How does that fit with his forgiving attitude to guys who fail tests for coke? I am proud of Jon Jones for making the decision to enter a drug treatment facility," White told UFC.com. "Im confident that hell emerge from this program like the champion he truly is. The UFC as a company said -
"We support UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones decision to enter a drug treatment facility to address his recent issue. While we are disappointed in the failed test, we applaud him for making this decision to enter a drug treatment facility. Jon is a strong, courageous fighter inside the Octagon, and we expect him to fight this issue with the same poise and diligence. We commend him on his decision, and look forward to him emerging from this program a better man as a result.
Meanwhile, Jones released the following statement through his attorney -
"With the support of my family, I have entered into a drug treatment facility. I want to apologize to my fiancee, my children, as well as my mother, father and brothers for a mistake that I made. I also want to apologize to the UFC, my coaches, my sponsors and equally important, to my fans. I am taking this treatment program very seriously. Therefore, at this time, my family and I would appreciate privacy."
As for the man who Jones defeated this past Saturday night, Daniel Cormier said "I am aware of Jon's test, and if there is anything to say it is this: there are a lot of people you impact, so please let's get it together. Good luck on your rehab!" Coincidentally, all of this comes a week after Dana White abandoned the UFC's own plans for out of competition drug tests. All of this leaves more questions, as to when White and UFC knew of the failure, and if Jones can clean his image up for a comeback in 2015.