The whole realm of MMA, also recognized as Mixed Martial Arts, finds itself in a whirlwind following the judgment by UFC to transfer the pay-per-view show UFC 232 from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with only six days left until the fight night. Shifting a relatively significant event from the T-Mobile Arena to the Forum on such short notice, particularly during the winter holiday week, is nothing short of a monumental endeavor.
The predicament affects a wide spectrum of individuals, ranging from the athletes and the overseers to the personnel of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The focus is on Jon Jones, who encountered licensing complications in Nevada. The 31-year-old versatile combat artist purportedly underwent a drug examination by the Anti-Doping Agency of the United States on the 9th of December 2018. The test revealed a trace amount of a steroid metabolite.
The metabolite in question, known as M3, is the same one previously detected in Jones’ system in July 2017 when he faced a 15-month suspension for steroid use. Following an inquiry aided by various experts, the United States Anti-Doping Agency concluded that the quantity of the substance signifies that Jones did not intentionally re-consume the prohibited substance. Rather, it is residual remnants of the M3 steroid he had taken in 2017.
This revelation underscores that Jones had already faced repercussions for ingesting the steroid in 2017. Initially, Jones was expected to compete in Nevada, but USADA seemingly had the obligation to relay the test findings to the Nevada State Athletic Commission overseeing the event. However, the Athletic Commission only became aware of the test results last week, leaving them insufficient time to convene a hearing for deliberations.
