UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine ahead of his title defense in Las Vegas in January and he will now enter a rehab facility, according to ESPN.com.
After defending his title last weekend in Las Vegas, Jones has entered rehab and this comes after he tested positive for benzoylecgonine, which is a metabolite of cocaine. According to ESPN.com, Jones tested positive before his title defense against Daniel Cormier, but since benzoylecgonine is not banned in-competition, the result of the fight will remain in favor of Jones.
Jones has entered a rehab facility following his positive test and now the 27-year-old will be on break from training and his next event could be up in the air for the time being. The report from ESPN says that the urine test sample was taken in early December and the results came back on December 23. The test was considered not in competition and that is why the decision will stand.
Jones previously won over Cormier on a unanimous decision at UFC 182, improving his record to 20-1. Jones has had substance issues in the past, including when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in New York in 2012.
"I am proud of Jon Jones for making the decision to enter a drug treatment facility," UFC president Dana White said in a statement. "I'm confident that he'll emerge from this program like the champion he truly is."
