UFC strip Jon Jones of light heavyweight title, Daniel Cormier reinstated as champ

Bengaluru, September 14: The UFC stripped Jon Jones of the light heavyweight title owing to a failed drug test prior to UFC 214 in July and have henceforth reinstated Daniel Cormier as the champion on Wednesday (September 13) night.

The news came shortly after the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) had officially changed the result of Jones' third-round TKO victory over Cormier on July 29 to a no-contest.

Cormier on UFC Tonight suggested he didn't want the title back at first, but ultimately was going to fight for the belt either way and implied he accepted reinstatement only for financial reasons.

"I talked to [CSAC] and was like, 'I lost. I lost the fight,'" Cormier said. "As a competitor, that's how I felt. [UFC president] Dana White called me today and said, 'If it's a no-contest, then the fight didn't happen.'

"Now, people will say stuff like, 'You got handed the belt.' He cheated. The reality is, for me to say, 'I don't want this title,' when I was going to be [fighting] in a championship anyway, financially it's just a big difference if I don't fight as the champion as opposed to fighting for a vacant title."

The latest results confirmed Jones tested positive for metabolites of Turinabol, an anabolic steroid. He and his team have denied to knowingly take any banned substances.

The CSAC recieved Jones' "B" sample results that confirmed the failed drug test on Tuesday (September 12) and eventually changed the result of the July 29 title fight.

Tonight's the night. #UFC214 #TeamJones pic.twitter.com/NfleyRfs8x

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) July 29, 2017

This is the second failed drug test of Jones' career. In July 2016, he served a one-year suspension after testing positive for two anti-estrogenic substances. Jones defended himself and stated those substances were the result of a contaminated sexual enhancement pill.

This time Jones could face a maximum of a four-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and he indeed has the right to appeal on any potential suspension.

We still await an announcement from the UFC as to when Cormier will defend the light heavyweight title next.

(Source: ESPN)