Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones may have failed drug tests prior to UFC 200, but that does not necessarily mean the two will be suspended from competition for two years.
As MMA Fighting points out, Lesnar and Jones both tested positive for Hydroxy-clomiphene. The U.S Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) considers this substance (as well as the Letrozole Jones also tested positive for) to be “specified substances,” which means the two are facing a punishment of up to a year suspension rather than the standard two years.
World Anti-Doping Agency Code (read the 2015 code here) states that the substances are more susceptible to credible non-doping explanations, such as contaminated or tainted products.
USADA can even let the two off with just a warning. Meanwhile, the fighters can also request arbitration if they are dissatisfied with the penalty they receive.
One thing to note is that the USADA penalties the fighters face are different from the ones handed down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which only apply to Lesnar and Jones’ ability to fight in Nevada.
If you’ve been following the news lately, it seems to all be pointing to Jones potentially getting off with a light punishment. The most recent story suggested that Jones’ positive test was triggered by a sex medication. If that’s the case, his argument for a lesser penalty would be well supported.
