Jon Jones Compared To Disgraced Cyclist Lance Armstrong – ‘Jones Has Been Caught Doping’
Jon Jones has been compared to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong due to their history of failed tests.
That is according to the coach of the American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez. Jones has repeatedly been described as the best P4P fighter in the world by Dana White. However, that has received backlash from fight fans. The current rankings have UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev as number one.
He made the third successful defense of his title by submitting Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in his last fight. Jones, meanwhile, has only fought once in around four years. He returned to the sport after a three-year break to beat Ciryl Gane in his last fight at UFC 285 for the vacant title in 2023. However, he pulled out of his fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 with a pectoral muscle injury.
Jones’ Failed Tests
Jones’ failed tests also do not cast a good light on him. Jones’s win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 became a no-contest since Bones failed for turinabol. This is an anabolic steroid. However, Jones’ ban was reduced from four years to a 15-months. This was due to his cooperation with USADA. Jones denied any intentional wrongdoing, arguing that his substances were tainted.
And yet, Jones failed another test before fighting Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232. He tested positive for turinabol again. USADA confirmed that the amount in his system was not enough to lead to any enhanced PED usage.
Lance Armstrong made history by winning the Tour De France a record seven times. He battled through cancer in doing so. However, after years of denying doping, he came clean as his titles were stripped. Mendez felt that Jones’ history of failed tests means he should not be considered the best.
Armstrong Comparison
“Dana is still insisting that Jon Jones is pound-for-pound No. 1. He has his valid points, but my valid point is I just say one thing: Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France how many times? And basically he got all those titles taken away from him because of one thing: doping.
“And even though it was many years later that they caught him, he lost all his Tour de France (titles). Well, it’s been a fact, it’s been proven Jon Jones has been caught doping. So, I’m sorry, I think that disqualifies him just based on that alone,” Mendez said
Jones has also been accused of ducking the best. He has shown a massive reluctance to face Tom Aspinall, the current UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion. Jones has said his legacy is complete without fighting Aspinall while claiming that an Alex Pereira fight is much bigger globally.
There are suggestions that Jones could retire if he beats Miocic. Aspinall will face the winner of Jones-Miocic, but Stipe will retire, leaving it in Jones’ hands as to whether he will take the fight. Failure to do so may lead to an asterisk over his legacy, just as the prior failed tests have done.
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