I'm back not totally dead. I would like to apologize for the fact that I haven't written anything in almost a year, but due to certain circumstances I wasn't able to continue to write and post....Those of you who know me personally will recognize those circumstances and understand my dilemma. That being said I will try to post as much as I can.
The issue that is present at the time of course is one that by now every MMA fan has been devastated by, which is the fact that the second fight between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier and the current UFC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion will no longer come to fruition on Saturday's UFC 200 event.
The news came yesterday as a distraught Dana White and the UFC Brass hastily rounded up members of the media into a press conference and Jeff Novitsky, the UFC's official responsible for the the company's anti-doping and drug policy, informed the world that Jon Jones had been flagged by USADA for testing positive for a banned substance for a test conducted on June 16 of this year. As a result, he would have to be pulled from the main event of UFC 200.
For a billion dollar organization with rumors of a buyout looming,,,for the company to come out and address the issue head on shows the evolution of the sport and its continued quest to legitimize itself against the big four. The company could have kept the findings hidden until after the event so as to not effect the gate and pay-per-view revenues, but it instead took the high road and came out forthright to rectify the issue and also offerred refunds to anyone who so desired them.
This is not the first time that Jon Jones hurts the company. Before his legal issues Jones held significant sway as to where his career was going and even got the company to cancel an entire event because he refused to fight at UFC 158. So this is nothing new. Some may attribute this to his brashness and youth, but he had become one of the faces of the UFC. When Electronic Arts launched its UFC mobile app Jon Jones was the poster boy for that game, but was soon replaced one he started to find himself in legal issues.
Meanwhile, his opponent Daniel Cormier has been nothing but a professional, He is an impressive athlete as well as has a gift for gab. In addition to being a UFC fighter, he branched out into broadcasting and analyses and has created a great partnership with FOX Sports. Daniel was a decorated wrestler before coming into the UFC, but saw a revitalization of his athletic career when he entered the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. At the age of 37, Cormier has either entered the twilight of his career or is already in it. As a result, Cormier has little time left to make money in his athletic pursuits, and to headline UFC 200 would have been the biggest payday of his life given the projected revenues associated with that event and its promotion. Now Cormier is left in limbo with no opponent and having lost this once in a life-time financial opportunity as he must be both physically and mentally drained by the entire ordeal. He had come from an injury and he had just finished an extensive training camp in preparation for the fight. Unfortunately, this is what happens. As CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said last year when the drug policy was announced "That things would get much worse before they got better."
On another note, this is an eye-opener to many fighters who use a myriad of supplements in their dietary regiments. Assuming there is no fault on Jones. The supplement industry is completely unregulated and some companies offering miraculous results are actually inserting performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) into their products without informing the consumer. If this becomes an issue, it may lead to several lawsuits against these companies. Jones most certainly could sue this unknown company for lost purses and other damages associated with any repercussions from a positive test, but the issue is the companies themselves. Most of these companies are quickly insolvent. If an athlete sues, they may opt to declare bankruptcy pay off major creditors in a restructuring and then begin anew under another label, leaving the athlete with little recourse. This is not uncommon. (I may be oversimplifying the bankruptcy process but the idea is there).
For Daniel he may see an opponent pop up to fight him, but it would have to be someone who is already in shape and it would not be fair to put his title on the line in that instance. For Jones, it is back to the drawing board and appeal the ruling in the due process set up by USADA. A two year suspension would not be the end of his career given his young age, but as we saw with Ali, Jones will never be the same. It is also a hope that he does not fall back into his darkness and see himself get into more trouble as he still has a promising career despite the obstacles he must still overcome. For the UFC, the company has garnered good will with its fans and has silenced it critics as it has demonstrated with this decision today that it is committed to make its organization a clean, PED free environment, not only as an example to the sport of MMA, but that of sports period no matter the financial consequences,
As always if you like this article or have any opinions you would like to share feel free to leave a comment down below or via my Facebook page, Google +, or Twitter @mmalegal2016.
