USADA: “Jon Jones could receive longer suspension if he doesn’t keep providing substantial evidence”
Last week, Jon Jones sent shock waves through the MMA world as news broke that Jones had been given a 15-month suspension from USADA retroactive to the time of his failed July 2017 drug test.
This basically indicates Jones will be allowed to resume fighting in the UFC again by the end of October.
Being that this was only Jones second USADA incident, the 15 month term counts as a short period.
The reason for the shorter suspension, is due to Jones providing significant and useful information to USADA.
However, as far as the views of MMA fans are concerned, that may seem to imply Jones might have actually snitched.
Yesterday while speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show , Jon Jones long time manager Malki Kawa assured that this is not the case at all.
He also affirmed that Jones did not spill any information in regards to other fighters but instead offered information that would make his case a little easier to work through.
“I can just tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Jon did not tell on any teammate,” Kawa said (transcript via MMAjunkie). “Jon did not tell on anyone in MMA. Jon did not do anything that these people are saying he did. So all that, ‘He’s a snitch’ and all that stuff, we can put it to bed. He did not do that.
“There’s other things that took place in here. There’s other things that Jon did with himself. There’s things that USADA – and the arbitrator and everyone involved – got from Jon about Jon that they had never had before.”
In a statement to MMAjunkie, USADA spokesperson Danielle Eurich responded to these comments from Kawa.
Though she did not say Jones outright told on his teammates, she did give another intriguing detail.
Rule 10.6.1.1, the rule that ultimately allowed Jon Jones suspension to be reduced due to his cooperation, stated that he must continue his cooperation with USADA.
Meaning he must continuously provide them with information, be it pertaining to himself, as Kawa believes, or other fighters as the fans believe.
If failing to do so, his shortened suspension will be apparently terminated, in which he’ll then receive a much longer suspension without reduction.
“Importantly, if the athlete or support personnel fails to continue to cooperate and provide credible substantial assistance, USADA will reinstate the original sanction,” Eurich said. “These rules set out in 10.6.1.1 are crystal clear, and if they are not met, an individual would not be considered for a reduction based on substantial assistance.”
What are your thoughts on this wild situation with Jon Jones and USADA?
