Jon Jones should be in a soap opera. Regardless of how euphoric a moment is for the current UFC light-heavyweight champion, he always finds a way to add a bit of drama to proceedings.
The most naturally talented martial artist of all time, but one of the most mentally immature. An ex-champion with one of the most successive title defences of all time, but stripped of his belt following a hit-and-run attack on a pregnant woman. And when it looked like Jones was set to get the opportunity to get his life back at the marquee UFC 200, he was flagged for a doping offence by USADA, followed by a further one year ban from competition.
However, nowhere is that soap opera bi-polarism better illustrated by this morning's news. Having brutally knocked out main rival Daniel Cormier with a left high kick in the main event of UFC 214 to reclaim the title he never lost in the Octagon, Jones seemed to have achieved the ultimate redemption.
But, almost inevitably, the story was not finished. This morning, Jones was again flagged for a potential doping violation by USADA, taken from his sample provided at the weigh-ins the day before the UFC 214 bout.
Initial reports suggest that the substance found was Turinabol, an anabolic steroid based on a derivation of testosterone. This isn't the first time that USADA has encountered the substance, with ex-UFC heavyweight Frank Mir testing positive for the drug last year. Should the use of Turinabol in the Jones case be confirmed, it would appear to be more conclusive and damning than the failed test before UFC 200, which was for an oestrogen blocker. I think Jon would struggle to suggest that "dick pills" were full of steroids - unless he's really looking to boost performance!
The impact on Jon Jones' career is potentially significant if found guilty. As this is his second offence, a four year ban from competition could be the penalty, and comes at the worst possible time. Having just entered his thirties, Jones is now in the prime of his career, and a four-year layoff would be difficult, if not impossible, to come back from. Dana White himself, reacting to today's news, said as much, suggesting that the UFC 214 victory could be the last time that we see Jones inside the Octagon if found guilty.
There's no doubt that even being associated with another doping scandal will affect Jones' career. Certainly the super fight with ex-UFC heavyweight Brock Lesnar is off the cards for the medium-term, while White also claimed that a title fight with current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was in the works for UFC 218. I think it's safe to say that there is more than a little doubt in that now!
Jones has made it clear in press conferences since the Cormier fight that he, like so many others in the UFC at present, are chasing the money fights over the traditional legitimacy of the competition. With both Lesnar and Miocic likely to provide huge cheques, Jon's set to lose more than a little cash! However, regardless of the result of the investigation, this has the potential to affect Jones' future earnings. Dana White was already concerned at the prospect of offering a headline spot at UFC 214 after his previous failed test - can you honestly say that this, whether he is found innocent or not, will slow that school of thought?
Most damaging of all for Jones, however, are the questions that are now likely to be asked of all of his previous accomplishments. Also known as the 'Anderson Silva effect', the failed drug test has the potential to ruin the legacy of the greatest of all time. Would he have had the stamina to beat Daniel Cormier at UFC 182? Would he have had the heart to overcome the challenge of Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165? Even worse, would he even have had the speed and athleticism to defeat Shogun Rua to claim the belt initially at UFC 128? It's entirely possible that the answer to all of these questions is 'yes', but the truth is we'll never know, casting doubt on his true ability.
Before we start to completely dismiss his career as drug-enhanced, it is worth considering the current defence being put forward by his team. Far from the farcical "dick pills" excuse mentioned earlier, the Jackson Winklejohn team have made the argument that Jones repeatedly tested negative throughout camp, and suggested that there would be no benefit of taking steroids the day before the fight, with the chemicals taking weeks to build up in a fighter's system and take effect.
I'm not naive enough to take this kind of thing at face value, and there is every chance that this is another cover up, but logically something doesn't add up. According to USADA's website, Jones has been tested 17 times since the agency was introduced in 2015, and bear in mind that he was out for a full year between July 2016 and July 2017 for his past indiscretion. Assuming Jones had been tested in the final few weeks ahead of the fight, there would have been no opportunity for the drug to make a difference, and with Jones already knowing the potential repercussions of a failed test first-hand, I struggle to see the pros for taking a steroid - particularly one that has also been proven to be picked up in USADA tests in the past!
Irrespective of this, the person I feel for most is Daniel Cormier, who was defeated so emphatically at UFC 214, and left unconscious and disconnected for some time afterwards. Should Jones be found guilty, he will have been severely damaged by a man who entered the Octagon having cheated to make himself more dangerous, something that could have had long-lasting effects for the remainder of his life. He's in a no-win situation, as stripping Jones of the title and returning it to Cormier would again put him in the position of being questioned as champion, having not won the belt in the Octagon.
Despite this, the statement released by DC in the hours following this news was admirable. Far from the point-scoring and trash-talking seen ahead of the fight, his reaction was perfectly reasonable and understanding. Rather than jumping to a conclusion, he made it clear that he felt that Jones was the better man on the night, and elected to hold off commenting further until the details were revealed.
After the euphoria of UFC 214, not all soap opera stories end happily, and short of something unusual, I can only realistically see one outcome to this one. In Jon Jones, the UFC had reclaimed a real draw, having lost the likes of Lesnar, Rousey and even McGregor in recent years, and in one moment, Jon Jones may have cost the UFC a legitimate PPV draw, and himself his entire career.
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