At this moment, the MMA world is exploding over the news that Jon Jones has yet again been flagged for a potential anti-doping violation. Multiple outlets have reported that this violation is for an anabolic steroid. Is this news completely shocking? Not really. In a weird way, it almost makes too much sense. Should these allegations stand it would likely mean 2 to 4 years away from the sport for Jones and the light heavyweight title would be strapped back around the waist of Daniel Cormier. This news has brought out the haters and the supporters in full force but the overwhelming thought seems to be… “Not again.”
Unfortunately, the answer for now is that this is happening again. At this point it isn’t as surprising as it is frustrating. Many people had recently decided to again give Jones another chance to win them over after his win against bitter rival, Daniel Cormier. Following his performance Jones praised his opponent, seeming genuine and real. However, if these allegations are true the same person who just said he wished he could be more like his opponent in and out of the ring was either crying out for help or flat out lying to everyone listening.
The problem for Jones is that his past is too damming to ignore when thinking about his future. Across twitter, on message boards, and on podcasts people are asking, why would Jones do this? What would he need to cheat for? Some are even saying he “wouldn’t” do it. However, this is the same Jon Jones who was drunk driving and crashed his Bentley, the same Jon Jones who failed a drug test for cocaine, the same Jon Jones who ran from a hit and run scene leaving behind his USADA paperwork and a marijuana pipe, the same Jon Jones who tested positive for a banned substance that he blamed on a sexual enhancement pill. How is this not a believable scenario? If anything he has exhibited a pattern of behavior that would lead one to believe this type of thing would almost certainly happen again.
Fighters across the globe are chiming in and those from the great Pacific Northwest are no exception.
So here we sit, waiting for this story to truly unfold. And Jon Jones, who was working so hard to win back the fans he lost and the ones he never had, will be fighting to keep his name clean when he should be preparing for his next title fight. This potential failure has driven a spike through the dividing line of fans that support Jones and those that don’t. Those who had not yet decided which way they wanted to go had that spike driven right down on top of them. Jones legacy will undoubtedly be tied to his actions outside the cage and his inability to stay in the cage fighting. Will this be the last stand of one of the greatest fighters to ever live or will Jones again rise from the ashes to try and win over his detractors yet again? No matter the outcome one thing is for sure, this is simply par for the course in the career of Jonathan Dwight Jones.
