MANILA, Philippines – The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) handed down a temporary suspension to Jon Jones as two banned substances have been found in the system of the former UFC light heavyweight titleholder.
NSAC attorney Caroline Bateman revealed during a public hearing on Tuesday, July 19 (Manila time) that Jones tested positive for the anti-estrogenic agent Hydroxyclomiphene as well as the aromatase inhibitor Letrozole.
Estrogen blockers and aromatase inhibitors are often used to mask the use of exogenous steroids and help restart natural testosterone production in male athletes.
Jones was scratched off from a light heavyweight title unification bout against Daniel Cormier 3 days before UFC 200 earlier this month as he was notified of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test that was administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency on June 16.
The results of Jones' “B” sample also confirmed the presence of prohibited substances.
Jones is facing a potential two-year suspension, but he will be given the right to file an appeal before any sanctions are determined.
The Nevada district attorney's office informed NSAC of a probable hearing date around September or October.
Jones claimed in Twitter conversations with fans that he was unaware of the uses of substances that were found in his samples, and the 29-year-old native of Rochester, New York maintained that he is innocent.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don't write me off just yet, I know in my heart that I'm not a cheater. I trust in the system to help me prove it <a href="https://t.co/aE2vP9BlVp">https://t.co/aE2vP9BlVp</a></p>— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/755151884336308225">July 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You're absolutely right man, I learned that myself over the last week. But it doesnt mean you actually took steroids <a href="https://t.co/qkv6tw3Dej">https://t.co/qkv6tw3Dej</a></p>— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/755157017812086784">July 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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{/source} – Rappler.com