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What's the story?
UFC Athlete health and performance CEO vice president, Jeff Novitzsky, recently admitted in a recent interview with MMA Fighting that the California State Atheltic Commission, was in fact, not aware of Jon Jones' drug test failure ahead of his UFC 232 clash with Alexander Gustafsson.
Novitzsky says he feels the United States Anti-Doping Agency should have kept the state of California about the matter, considering the gravity of it.
In case you didn't know..
Early this December, former UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, tested positive for an illegal substance said to have been identified in a screening conducted by USADA. A picogram of a banned enhancer that goes by the name Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (DHCMT), or oral Turinabol, was found in Jones' system just a week before his return to the Octagon against Alexander Gustafsson for the main event of UFC 232.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, president of the UFC, Dana White, said that The Forum, in Inglewood, California, will now be hosting UFC 232, after the recent hearing about Jon Jones' drug test failure.
The California State Athletic Commission subsequently granted Jones with a temporary fighting license to compete within the state, following the state of Nevada's decision to deny Jones of the same.
The heart of the matter
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Jeff Novitzsky said that the California State Athletic Commission was unaware of Jon Jones recent drug test results, before granting him a license to fight within the state.
The current Executive Director of the California State Athletic Commission, Andy Foster, also confirmed that they did not know about results from Jones' test until last week.
“No, they didn’t,” Novitzky said when asked if CSAC knew Dec. 11. “Nevada knew at that time, but California didn’t. … I mean, hey, in hindsight, maybe [USADA should have told CSAC]. I’m definitely a proponent in as much transparency as possible. Unfortunately, how do you think of every scenario? I think in USADA’s mind, they had no obligation to let Nevada know about this at all. It wasn’t within their jurisdiction. I think out of an abundance of caution, they did it. Could they have given it to [CSAC] as well? I think potentially.”
In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Jeff Novitzky told UFC commentator, Joe Rogan, that Jones tested positive for the same metabolite that he had already served a suspension for after his last fight in the Octagon against Daniel Cormier at UFC 214.
The UFC was notified about Jones' screening results on the 20th of this month, after which the California State Athletic Commission sanctioned the mega-fight for UFC 232's main event.
What's next?
UFC 232 is expected to go down on the 29th of December at The Forum, in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, with the assistance of a stacked preliminary and main event fight card.
Following Jones' recent sanction to fight in California without having been aware of Jones' recent drug test situation, do you think the California State Athletic Commission will be held responsible in the case of any legal impositions on Jon Jones.
Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
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