Jones still has Turinabol in his system ahead of UFC 235 fight

Oof.

LINK


by Steve Marrocco

A metabolite for the oral turinabol steroid continues to pulse in Jon Jones’ system prior to his fight with Anthony Smith at UFC 235.

A quintet of drug test results released today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission show the UFC light heavyweight passed three and failed two for the M3 metabolite that’s periodically been in his system since a positive test in July 2017.

Samples tested at the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine and Research Laboratory (SMRTL) on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 returned “adverse” findings, with Jones respectively registering 40 and 20 picograms per milliliter. (See the NSAC’s statement and test findings here.)

One USADA test from Feb. 23 is still is pending. The NSAC has ordered that all of Jones’ pre-fight samples are to be expedited, but has cleared him to compete Saturday at the pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena.

As with previous findings where trace amounts of the steroid metabolite have shown up in Jones’ system, he is not being sanctioned because the metabolites are considered residual from the 2017 test that resulted in a 15-month suspension.

In a statement released to the media, the NSAC said Jones was “cooperative” and said SMRTL chief Daniel Eichner reaffirmed there is “no scientific or medical evidence that the athlete would have an unfair advantage leading up to, or for, his contest.”

The levels of M3 metabolite are approximately within the same range as previous tests where Jones has been flagged by drug tests; a positive from Dec. 28, 2018, returned a level of 33 picograms, while a Dec. 9 test was between 60 and 80 picograms.

The full test results and agency that conducted the test include:

• Feb. 1 (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) – No adverse analytical findings.
• Feb. 9 (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, in California) – No adverse analytical findings.
• Feb. 14 (Nevada State Athletic Commission) – Adverse Analytical finding. DHCMT M3 detected 40 pg/mL.
• Feb. 15 (Nevada State Athletic Commission) – Adverse Analytical finding. DHCMT M3 detected 20 pg/mL.
• Feb. 18 (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, in Nevada) – No adverse analytical findings.
• Feb. 23 (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) – Pending.

Jones previously has passed other drug tests, including one conducted Feb. 18 by VADA, in which the champ was ordered to enroll after his Dec. 9 test was the catalyst for moving his UFC 232 title fight from Nevada to California.

Jones, 31, appeared this past month before the NSAC in an exhaustive hearing on his drug testing history. He received a temporary, one-fight license, but was ordered to participate in extensive drug testing prior to Saturday’s pay-per-view event. He was also required to continue drug testing throughout this year to provide more data to regulators on the M3 metabolite.

UFC President Dana White has defended Jones’ recent history and said the star has done nothing wrong. UFC VP of Athlete Health and Performance has said it would be unfair not to allow Jones to compete.

Jones has steadfastly denied knowingly using any performance-enhancing drugs at any point in his career. His July 2017 positive, which came after a title win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, was his second anti-doping offense under UFC anti-doping partner USADA. He was suspended for 12 months after failing a pre-fight test in connection with a UFC 200 title unifier against Cormier.

In both of his anti-doping cases, Jones took USADA to arbitration. He claimed a tainted sexual enhancement pill caused him to come up positive for estrogen blockers clomiphene and letrozole. Although the arbitrator agreed he didn’t intentionally cheat, he was found to have a high degree of fault for “reckless” actions prior to his failure.

In his second case, he faced a four-year suspension for his second violation, but earned a 30-month reduction for providing the anti-doping agency “substantial assistance” on other anti-doping violations before going to arbitration. Renowned anti-doping investigator Richard McLaren gave Jones another three months off for being a forthcoming witness and his efforts to prevent another positive.

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This just keeps looking worse and worse for Dana and company the more they choose to back Jones. They better hope Smith can take the belt off him, because the longer Jones has the belt, the worse the optics will get.

Anyway, thoughts?

bump

Yup, Jones is the biggest cheater to ever enter the UFC. It not even close anymore. UFC bragging about how much they test him, yet not acknowledging there literally giving him a pass when he fails. So testing him a lot is irreverent, when you allow him to take the PED's in the first place. UFC really think there fans are idiots.  Anyone else find it interesting the the two people consider the most dominate fighters in UFC  (Anderson and Jones) also happen to be two of the most prolific roiders in UFC history? UFC fast becoming a joke and they just slapping there fans in the face.  Honestly having hard time justifying paying for the UFC anymore. 

* Edited at 03.01.2019, 11:21 AM ET *

Looking at what you posted Green, I think some test's that are missing. I could have sworn there a test from Navada where he fails but then USADA a day later he passes. 

* Edited at 03.01.2019, 11:27 AM ET *

Whatta ******* joke!

Es normal, guys. Come on. 

Jones will still be "pulsing" Turinabol when he's 70, and he'll blame it on tainted Metamucil or some ********.