Jon “Bones” Jones was given an unexpectedly short 15-month sentence by the United States Anti-Doping Agency as the penalty for his steroid use (Oral Turinabol). The sentence was even applied retroactively meaning that Jones can return to competition as early as the end of October 2018. Are the UFC and USADA not serious about stopping steroid use in MMA?
The UFC Anti-Doping Policy clearly indicates that an MMA athlete who is found guilty of an anti-doping rules violation should be given up to a 4-year period of ineligibility. Instead of 48-months, Jones only received 15-months. Why was there such a big disparity?
Some people in the fight community thought that Jones must have bribed USADA officials to receive such favorable treatment. UFC welterweight Colby Covington suggested that Jones’ “scumbag management team” paid off either the UFC or USADA. Covington also implied that the UFC may have pressured USADA to go easy on Jones because it was in its best financial interests.
“You never know the UFC’s side, they want to do business and make money so if he’s available,” Covington said on the “You’re Welcome” podcast with Chael Sonnen in July 2018, “and USADA clears him, then they’re gonna want to do business and put him back out there to fight and make that company money. They’ve got a $4 billion installment on that loan to pay back, so they’re gonna do whatever it takes to make money and pay back that loan.”
USADA flatly denied such implications. USADA spokesperson Danielle Eurich set the record straight in a statement given to MMAJunkie.
USADA shoots down payoff rumors in Jon Jones case https://t.co/SafRpc3vrf pic.twitter.com/XR7gNW6aMT
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) September 13, 2018
“In relation to some media and social media comments we have observed, USADA wishes to clarify that under no circumstances do we receive payments as part of the resolution of cases,” Eurich said.
The conflict of interest involving UFC and USADA will always lead to suspicions. After all, USADA receives a lot of money from the UFC as part of its deal to administer the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. UFC could terminate the contract if USADA does not do what it wants. And USADA needs the money.