The UFC could see the return of Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar next year if the real score on their respective drug cases hold up. Both are facing separate episodes of substances found in their system but are not tied up to PED use.
Jon Jones was the first one meted a suspension after testing positive for letrozole. He was pulled out three days before his much awaited rematch with champion Daniel Cormier. Anderson ‘Spider’ Silva eventually filled in for “Bones” on short notice.
It was a sorry occurrence for Jones who was on the comeback trail. It was his second fight since being dragged in a drug-related hit-and-run incident but was given a break due to good behavior.
For Lesnar, the suspension hardly mattered since his UFC 200 card against Mark Hunt was a special arrangement. Unlike Jones, the “Beast Incarnate” didn’t really go through the proper screenings for his match though the drug discovery also caught him by surprise.
Lesnar was found positive for hydroxyl-clomiphene which is considered a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Both drugs are considered specified substances meaning that they could have gotten into the system of Jones and Lesnar unintentionally.
According to the Bleacher Report, the substances are not related to PED use which could become a key factor in seeing both back in the Octagon instead of the two-year period.
Jones was hit hard by the discovery, driven to tears knowing he may have lost more than just a title-shot to Cormier. At 29, a two-year ban could be worth the wait though “Bones” will have to work his way back to the top.
On Lesnar’s part, the two-year ban would be more critical. Though he is doing well under the WWE banner, he was open to fighting once again in the UFC in the future, TMZ reported. If the ban sticks, Lesnar will be past his 40s which may hold no promise of another match in the Octagon.
Everything would depend on what USADA and the Nevada Athletic Commission decides. Both groups can mete out totally different punishments, Yahoo Sports reported.
The video below explains how Jones and Lesnar could be facing suspension instead of bans.