Demetrious Johnson Defends Jon Jones’ PED Usage: “Talk About His Failed Drug Test and the Picogram”
Demetrious Johnson isn’t about to dismiss Jon Jones’ entire legacy over a picogram.
In August 2017, Jones was flagged for a potential doping violation by USADA, the UFC’s former drug-testing partner. After both of his A and B samples tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol, ‘Bones’ third-round knockout over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 was overturned and ruled a no-contest. Jones was also facing a significant four-year suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
However, the NSAC opted to reduce the suspension to 18 months after USADA CEO Travis Tygart determined that Jones had not intentionally cheated.
Three years later, the UFC’s senior VP of athlete health and performance, Jeff Novitsky, revealed that the promotion would no longer penalize fighters for having less than 100 picograms of a performance-enhancing substance in their system.
Jones is said that have only had 33 picograms of Turinabol in his system, well under the legal threshold as per the UFC’s revised rules.
Demetrious Johnson is ‘always defending’ jon jones
In recent years, Jones has desperately called for his win over Cormier to be overturned once again, giving him credit for the TKO. It could also go a long way toward ending one of the biggest arguments surrounding Jon Jones‘ bid for GOAT status.
Speaking with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson on the JAXXON Podcast, former UFC and ONE flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson offered his take on the picogram debate and whether or not it should have any bearing on ‘Bones’ status as one of the greatest of all time.
“Here’s the thing each time that I think Jon Jones is one of the best to ever do it and each time I have this conversation with somebody they said they always say ‘No, he’s not,’ and I was like, ‘Well, you serious?’ and he goes, ‘Well, why do you?’ Well, you’re not going to you know talk about his failed drug test and the picogram and they’re like and I’m like, ‘Well, I mean it was just a picogram,'” Johnson said.
“He goes, ‘But it’s discrediting everything you’ve done, [everything] GSP’s done. Everybody who’s never failed a drug test, right?’ So then we have this argument, and he goes, ‘So you’re arguing about somebody who failed the drug test, you think he’s the best, and I was like, ‘Yeah,’ then I sit there thinking I was like, ‘Man, why do I always have to like, I’m always defending Jon Jones.'”
What is your take on the great picogram debate?
