Non-threadworthy MMA Rumors/Quotes/Tweets/Etc., Vol. 5

[Bernman]

So apparently Jones had to snitch to get the 4yr suspension down to a little over a year

Oh who?

Whoever and for whatever he needed to. It's Jon Jones. He has zero character. Probably some guys who told him they smoke weed to relax, like Anthony Hernandez, a promising 185-lber who recently got popped for it. I mean he used to brag about doing it to his friends. Don't speak freely about your leisure activities in front of him. He's the only person who is going to be having any fun and getting an edge in his world.

[Jasen777]

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[Bernman]

Well the UFC pays USADA, and it's in their incentive to expedite the process so can make max green, so naturally they'd look for a way around the rules. You saw with how quickly they allowed Conor to return after his incidents (after making noise about how outraged they were and he'd be punished) how much they care about their fighter's safety relative to their bank account.

Not that I won't be looking forward to the fight. It's also the only fight that would significantly improve Cormier's legacy and also get him paid. But it's a serious risk. Back-to-back opponents that aren't genetically human anymore.

[lilfishi22]

So apparently Jones had to snitch to get the 4yr suspension down to a little over a year

Oh who?

Whoever and for whatever he needed to. It's Jon Jones. He has zero character. Probably some guys who told him they smoke weed to relax, like Anthony Hernandez. Don't speak freely about your leisure activities in front of him. He's the only person who is going to be having any fun and getting an edge at this gym.

Doesn't say but he had to snitch to get a significant reduction in sentencing

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2018/9/19/17880850/jon-jones-15-month-usada-ban-turinabol-eligible-return-early-ufc-230-mma-news

Here are the key details from the USADA independent arbitration ruling, which includes their reasoning for giving Jones a reduced ban even though he received a maximum one-year suspension for his pre-UFC 200 failure for clomiphene.

Jones, 31, tested positive for a prohibited substance as result of a sample collected during the in-competition testing period on July 28, 2017, before his bout at UFC 214 in Anaheim, Calif., an event sanctioned by the California Athletic Commission. Jones’ sample contained 4-chloro-18-nor-17β-hydroxymethyl,17α-methyl-5α-androst-13-en-3α-ol (M3), a metabolite of dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), or another chlorine-substituted anabolic steroid. Chlorine-substituted anabolic steroids, including DHCMT, are non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Prior to the hearing, USADA determined that a 30-month reduction in the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility was appropriate under the rules based on Jones’ delivery of substantial assistance. Evidence related to Jones’ substantial assistance was presented at the hearing and considered by the arbitrator.

The sanction was further reduced by the arbitrator based on Jones’ reduced degree of fault and the circumstances of the case, including the fact that Jones had been tested on multiple occasions leading up to UFC 214, and as recently as three weeks prior to the event, all of which yielded negative results for prohibited substances.

“The independent arbitrator found that Jon Jones was not intentionally cheating in this case, and while we thought 18-months was the appropriate sanction given the other circumstances of the case, we respect the arbitrator’s decision and believe that justice was served,” said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart. “This case is another strong reminder that athletes need to be extremely cautious about the products and supplements they use to ensure they are free of prohibited substances.”

That line about “Jones’ delivery of substantial assistance” is really important to note, because that all but indicates that Jones went the “snitch” route, as you can see in section 10.6.1.1 of the UFC-USADA policy.

USADA in its sole discretion may suspend all or part of the period of Ineligibility and other Consequences imposed in an individual case in which it has results management authority where the Athlete or other Person has provided Substantial Assistance to USADA or another Anti-Doping Organization, criminal authority or professional disciplinary body which results in: (i) USADA or another Anti-Doping Organization discovering or bringing forward an Anti-Doping Policy Violation by another Person and the information provided by the Person providing Substantial Assistance is made available to USADA, or (ii) which results in a criminal or disciplinary body discovering or bringing forward a criminal offense or the breach of professional rules committed by another Person and the information provided by the Person providing Substantial Assistance is made available to USADA. The extent to which the otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility and other Consequences imposed may be suspended shall be based on the seriousness of the Anti-Doping Policy Violation committed by the Athlete or other Person and the significance of the Substantial Assistance provided by the Athlete or other Person to the effort to eliminate doping in sport. If the Athlete or other Person fails to continue to cooperate and to provide the complete and credible Substantial Assistance upon which a suspension of the period of Ineligibility or other Consequences was based, USADA shall reinstate the original period of Ineligibility and other Consequences.

[lilfishi22]

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[lilfishi22]

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lol Khabib Time

[Bernman]

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I don't even get the reasoning that there was a mitigating circumstance with his positive test. They didn't find the source - meaning his story it derived from a supplement again was probably just b.s. Shouldn't that be an aggravating circumstance? He lied. Give him an extra yr for wasting their time and not showing contrition then. Just looking for another excuse to get him back into the cage ASAP so everyone involved can maximize profit.

I would really love to see if the people he implicated was for weed. That would put a cherry on the sundae from the standpoints of Jones, the UFC, and USADA coming out smelling like s**t from all this.

[lilfishi22]

Sounded like USADA just made a deal with Jones so they can catch other people to justify their existence on the UFC payroll. I'm betting the UFC is in on it. Rather sacrifice a few gatekeepers if it means bringing back one of their cash cows back while he's still in his prime. Just real shady

[Susan]

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[REDDzone]

So they didn't even find his "tainted" supplement. LOL!

USADA is an embarrassment. Think random regional fighter x would have gotten the same deal if they popped twice and they weren't able to find the so-called "tainted supplement"?

Honestly mindblowing.

[REDDzone]

Also can't wait for Rogan to act validated since he has been proclaiming Jones innocence for the past year while at the same time accusing other fighters of roids who have never popped (never current UFC guys, but oldschool guys and Pride guys).

[High 5]

And to think there was a time when everyone praised USADA for their hardline stance on cheaters.

[Headliner]

It’s still better than before though. It’s poop, but he lost at least 5 million dollars because of the 15 month lay off.

[Duke4life831]

Loved DC's response. You could tell he was doing his best to stay professional and not just lose it. You could see and hear the frustration with him.

Also cutting it down to 15 months was not some random number, it just so happens to be that 15 months gets him eligible by like a week to fight on the UFC 230 card that still just happens to not have a headliner for it yet.

I think I realized why UFC hasnt been spending big money on promoting their fights or doing a world tour for the Khabib/Conor fight, Im sure they needed to make a heavty payment to USADA to get it all set for Jones to fight on the 230 card.

Also they couldnt even find his tainted supplement lol. Basically there is no proof of his bs story but hey lets not test him while he's suspended and lets just give him a massive reduction in punishment even though we can find 0 evidence of his "tainted" supplement story. This whole thing has shown how much of a farce USADA has become, the second they announce Jones as the headliner for the 230 card, Im just going to laugh because it would be just the UFC blatantly showing how much they fixed this to get him back.

[cowboyronnie]

Also can't wait for Rogan to act validated since he has been proclaiming Jones innocence for the past year while at the same time accusing other fighters of roids who have never popped (never current UFC guys, but oldschool guys and Pride guys).

One of his worst takes ever was to promote this creatine in cocaine theory and the creatine tainted. I barely listen to JRE but heard that promoted a half dozen times.

Bad take but not as bad as his boxing.

[REDDzone]

Also can't wait for Rogan to act validated since he has been proclaiming Jones innocence for the past year while at the same time accusing other fighters of roids who have never popped (never current UFC guys, but oldschool guys and Pride guys).

One of his worst takes ever was to promote this creatine in cocaine theory and the creatine tainted. I barely listen to JRE but heard that promoted a half dozen times.

Bad take but not as bad as his boxing.

I just checked and I'm proud to say I haven't listened to a JRE since 7/10 with Israel Adesanya.

But yea, as of then he was still spouting that defense every other episode to everyone that would listen.

[cowboyronnie]

Also can't wait for Rogan to act validated since he has been proclaiming Jones innocence for the past year while at the same time accusing other fighters of roids who have never popped (never current UFC guys, but oldschool guys and Pride guys).

One of his worst takes ever was to promote this creatine in cocaine theory and the creatine tainted. I barely listen to JRE but heard that promoted a half dozen times.

Bad take but not as bad as his boxing.

I just checked and I'm proud to say I haven't listened to a JRE since 7/10 with Israel Adesanya.

But yea, as of then he was still spouting that defense every other episode to everyone that would listen.

Half of those instances, Schaub (who incidentally trained with JJ), would explain to Joe that micro-dosing is what fighters now do and that micro-dosing explains exactly the set of passes but a fail on fight night. Joe not hearing it due to the overwhelming plausibility of the steroids-inside-creatine-inside-cocaine theory.

[Jasen777]

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk for vacant UFC flyweight title added to UFC 231

[Headliner]

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk for vacant UFC flyweight title added to UFC 231

Nice.
Joanna with the name value, so I hope the betting lines put her near even. I'll put some cash on Valentina if she becomes a value bet.

[cowboyronnie]

Has anything ever been more of a media concoction than this 165 pound belt thing? Articles and podcast segments - despite it clearly not being sourced in the actual UFC.