The UFC has suffered another blow just days out from UFC 200, with main event competitor Jon Jones implicated in a doping violation.
Jones’ light-heavyweight bout against Daniel Cormier was set to be the headline event at UFC 200, but he has now been rubbed off the card after the United States Anti-Doping Agency revealed he tested positive for a banned substance last month.
The news comes just months after the proposed rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz was taken off the UFC 200 card.
The scandal isn’t the first time Jones’ career has been marred by drug use. Prior to his first clash with Cormier at UFC 182 in January of last year, he tested positive for cocaine use. Jones claimed the positive result was due to a wild night of partying.
He also served a suspension between April and October last year after being involved in a hit-and-run incident.
UFC boss Dana White was left shocked by the news.
“This sucks,” he said.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s unfortunate.”
White said that, while Jones would be given the opportunity to prove his innocence before any suspension is handed down, there just isn’t enough time for that process to be carried out before UFC 200 on Sunday (AEST).
This is the second time a clash between Cormier and Jones has been cancelled, after Cormier withdrew from the pair’s UFC 197 bout in April with a foot injury.
White said the UFC was looking for a replacement to fight Cormier.
“Maybe someone will pop up and fight Cormier at the last minute,” he said.
“Stranger things have happened.
“This is devastating to Daniel Cormier. Not only mentally, but physically he just went through a camp and financially, this pay-per-view is trending to be massive and he shares in that revenue. It’s devastating to him in every way it could possibly be.”
In place of the Jones versus Cormier clash, Australian Mark Hunt’s heavyweight bout against Brock Lesnar will now take top spot on the UFC 200 card.
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