Abe Kawa on USADA making decision regarding Jon Jones: “Hopefully sooner than later”
Most MMA fans that have devotedly followed the career of one Jon “Bones” Jones are aware of both his many successes and many failures. Unfortunately failures at times overshadowed his success because of repeat offenses. Just as Jones was destined to skyrocket into UFC superstardom, dare say living legend status while still in the prime of his career, one fatal mishap caused it to all come crashing down.
It all started on April 28th 2015, when Jones was first suspended for six months by the UFC after being stripped of the UFC light heavyweight title in which he was suppose to defend against then top contender Anthony Johnson the following month, due a hit-and-run incident he had been involved in around that time.
A year later in July 2016, the long awaited rematch between Jones-Cormier was scheduled for UFC 200 but again Jones found himself in hot water as he was taken out of the fight due to a doping violation a couple of days prior. But the consequences didn’t stop there, as not only did he succumb to another year suspension, but was stripped of the UFC interim light heavyweight title he’d recently won after defeating Ovince St. Preux, making him the first and only man in UFC history to be stripped of a UFC title twice.
Then came 2017, 1 year later, Jon Jones makes his much-anticipated UFC return and the MMA world was ecstatic. With supposedly his faults blown away in the breeze, Jones faced Cormier at UFC 214 in the rubber match of their classic rivalry knocking out DC stunningly in the 1st round and once again capturing the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. It was a feel good moment for Jones, overcome with emotion following the victory after another year away from the sport and making such a triumphant return, it seemed as if Jones had finally casted out the demons that were plaguing his career and was finally a clean, focused, renewed man.
However a couple of weeks after recapturing the Light Heavyweight Title, trouble reared it’s ugly head yet again as Jones failed another drug test after the weigh in results came back on July 28th. This time the consequences were much greater as this was the second time Jones had gotten busted. Earlier this year in February, Jones was sent to the California State Athletic Commission for his crime, and was handed a 205,000 fine along with his fighters license revoked. In the discovery of Jones 2nd drug test failure coming to light, which came out in August of 2017, Jones has adamantly denied of having any knowledge of the Turinabol steroid.
A year prior in 2016 Jones provided evidence to USADA that he indeed did consume a tainted supplement that revealed he actually had banned substances in his system. Unfortunately in his current situation, Jones was unsuccessful in retrieving a similar forbidden substance. Jon Jones is facing a 4-year suspension as 2x time offender of failed drug test, now he awaits the official sanction from USADA but there has been no traction or sign so far, one of Jones managers Abe Kawa, appeared on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour to give his thoughts on the process, and expressed the decision of the sanction is closely approaching and believes USADA is taking their time to create a measured suspension due to Jones status as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
“It’s complicated,” Kawa said. “USADA does a very good job. People are banging on them and hating on them. There’s things I do not agree with with USADA. I’ve told them behind closed doors things I don’t agree with. But USADA does a very good job. They’ve done a very good job cleaning up the sport. It’s imperative that they get this right. It’s imperative that they get this case right, because of who Jon is. And I think they’re doing the best they can to get it right. With that being said, I’m confident that we will have a decision soon. I just don’t want to put a date on it and say, it’s gonna come down at this time, it’s gonna come at that time.
“There is a decision coming and it’s hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Looking toward the future, Kawa said positively despite how long the process is, Jones is training and preparing for another UFC return.
“He’s in a good place,” Kawa said.
Kawa also expressed in what he described “dream scenario” for Jones to come back to the octagon and possibly get the winner of the upcoming Cormier vs. Miocic Heavyweight Title fight at UFC 225, but Kawa feels it all boil down to timing. He also said that Jones gained hope and inspiration after witnessing Georges St.Pierre return to the UFC after a 4 year absence to defeat Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
“When he saw GSP do what he did, it actually lit a fire under him,” Kawa said. “He said, ‘Man, you know what, if he can do that after four years, why can’t I? Why can’t I go out there and do that?’ Or whatever it might be. So, Jon, never once did he say, ‘I’m gonna quit, I don’t want to do this anymore.’”
When do you think we’ll ever see Jon Jones in the UFC again?
