Jon Jones. AP File photo
Fight fans might not have to wait two full years, after all, to see Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstars Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar back inside the octagon.
The former champions are currently facing a lengthy ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after failing their respective drug tests, but the pair’s sentence could be cut in half, according to an MMA Fighting report.
The reason for the shorter suspension is that both fighters tested positive for hydroxy-clomiphene, an-estrogenic agent, which is considered as a “specified substance” under the new rules of the WADA code.
As per the provisions of the code, “there is a greater likelihood that these (specified substances) could be susceptible to credible non-doping explanation. When it comes to specified substances, the WADA code recognizes that it is possible for a prohibited substance to enter an athlete’s body inadvertently, and therefore allow a tribunal more flexibility when making a sanctioning decision.”
Despite the news, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has yet to officially announce if Jones and Lesnar’s sanctions would be lessened.
Jones hasn’t fought since April, after besting Ovince St. Preux at UFC 197. He failed an out-of-competition test on June 16, which forced the UFC to pull him from the UFC 200 main event, just three days before the fight.
Lesnar, meanwhile, failed an out-of-competition drug test on June 28, as well as an in-competition test on July 9. The 39-year-old WWE superstar’s test results reportedly did not arrive in time for the fight, thus allowing him to compete and ultimately defeat Mark Hunt via unanimous decision. His win, however, was eventually overturned by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).
Both fighters will be subjected to a hearing later this year and their suspension lengths will most likely vary. Khristian Ibarrola