UFC strips Jon Jones of interim light heavyweight title on heels of one-year suspension

With Jon Jones sidelined by suspension once again, the UFC has stripped the longtime light heavyweight kingpin of his interim championship.

On Monday, Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC), the No. 1 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings, was handed a one-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for his failed drug test ahead of a UFC 200 bout with Daniel Cormier. The suspension will end on July 7, 2017.

Jones hoped to receive a reprimand after arguing his positive out-of-competition test – conducted June 16 by UFC anti-doping partner USADA – was caused by a tainted sexual enhancement pill. But according to a press release from USADA, the panel “concluded Jones’ degree of fault was at the very top end of the scale” for a violation on a “specified substance,” in this case the banned estrogen blockers clomiphene and letrozole.

The decision marks the first of two punishments facing the interim champ; a hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which regulated UFC 200 on July 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, was recently delayed for a second time.

Following the decision by USADA, Jones stated, “I have always maintained my innocence and I am very happy I have been cleared in any wrongdoing pursuant to the allegations made that I had intentionally taken a banned substance.”

UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN.com‘s 5ive Rounds podcast to discuss the decision to strip Jones of the interim title he won with a decision over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 after champion Daniel Cormier was forced out of their planned bout due to injury.

“It doesn’t make sense,” White said. “He was the interim champion because he should have been fighting for the title (at UFC 197). We gave him this, ‘You were supposed to fight for the title, here it is.’

“It doesn’t make sense with all the stuff that is going on for him to still be the interim champion.”

Jones was previously stripped of the light heavyweight championship in April 2015 after his involvement in hit-and-run accident which left a pregnant woman with a broken arm. He escaped jail time with a plea bargain.

He is currently riding a 13-fight winning streak after his sole career loss, a controversial disqualification for illegal elbows against Matt Hammil at the finale for “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10.

For complete coverage of UFC 200, check out the UFC Events section of the site.