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Jeffrey T. Barnes / Associated Press
A referee issued a 15 months in jail against heavyweight star Jon Jones in his Case of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting reported Wednesday.
The suspension is retroactive to July 28, 2017, so the decision allows Jones to return to the Octagon as soon as Oct 28
Ariel Helwani of ESPN.com shared a statement from USADA on the decision of the arbitrator:
Ariel Helwani @arielhelwani
Here is the complete announcement of USADA. Jones went quietly to officiating last week and in my opinion he won a big win. https://t.co/2BjRAGPTFN
"The independent arbitrator concluded that Jon Jones did not intentionally cheat in this matter, and although we thought 18 months was the proper sanction given the other circumstances, we respect the arbitrator's decision and we consider that justice has been rendered ". Tygart said in the statement.
Helwani also shared Jones & # 39; Instagram post following the announcement:
Ariel Helwani @arielhelwani
First @JonnyBones comments on today's news: https://t.co/BUuxMHjU4A https://t.co/YKheT79DF4
"It's hard to speak right now, but I can certainly say that my heart is filled with gratitude and appreciation, "Jones said. I want to thank everyone who supported me during the most difficult times of my life. It has meant the world to me and will always do it. "
The UFC 230 is scheduled for Nov. 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York, but it is not certain that the UFC will add Jones to this map or wait for a later date.
Jones fought for the last time in July 2017, eliminating Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 214. The match was subsequently declared nil after USADA. Mark a sample of Jones' drug that was collected during a weigh-in before the fight.
USADA confirmed in September 2017, both samples of Jones "A" and "B" had tested positive for Turinabol, a banned substance. That same month, the UFC stripped him of the light heavyweight championship and named Cormier champion.
While the referee had not yet made his official decision, the California State Athletic Commission repealed Jones mixed martial arts license in February, effectively putting his career on hold.
Because he had go against According to USADA rules, Jones had to face a suspension of up to four years, which could have seriously derailed the 31-year career. This result was never very likely, but Jones clearly avoided what could have been a much more serious punishment.
It is unclear who is most satisfied with the decision of the referee: Jones or the UFC.
Despite the fact that he has only fought three times since 2014, Jones remains one of the best-known names of the UFC at a time when the company does not produce exactly local stars.
according to The tapologie, the UFC 214, generated 860,000 pay-per-view purchases, the second in 2017. The MMA fights Dave Meltzer indicated that the projections had dropped between 550,000 and 700,000 purchases, so the event far exceeded expectations.
UFC already has the return of Conor McGregor against Khabib Nurmagomedov is ready for UFC 229 on October 6th. A fight between Cormier and Brock Lesnar has not been confirmed yet, but he is apparently imminent after Lesnar confronted Cormier in the octagon at UFC 226 in July.
Add Jones to the mix and the UFC will have three of its biggest fighters in the future.
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