Jon Jones celebrates change to UFC weed rules
Jon Jones has taken to social media to celebrate the recent changes made to the UFC weed rules.
The former UFC Light Heavyweight champion has taken to his official Instagram account and posted an image of a write-up regarding the new weed rules alongside an interesting caption. Fans can check out Jon Jones’ post in his Instagram Stories at THIS link.
As we had previously reported, USADA has ‘essentially’ removed marijuana as a banned substance for UFC fighters. In simple terms, if the athletes test positive for marijuana, they’re unlikely to receive a harsh punishment for the same.
One of the most notable incidents of marijuana-related sanctions in MMA is that of UFC megastar, Nick Diaz. Diablo tested positive for marijuana metabolites in his UFC 183 post-fight drug test. He had faced Anderson Silva at the event that transpired in January 2015. The Spider also tested positive for banned substances, but it was drostanolone and androsterone and not marijuana.
Diaz was handed a five-year suspension and a $165,000 fine for the positive test. The MMA community strongly criticized the suspension and fine, and they demanded justice for Diaz. In January 2016, Nick Diaz’s suspension was shortened to 18 months and his fine was reduced to $100,000.
Similarly, other UFC fighters such as Kelvin Gastelum, Curtis Blaydes, Cynthia Calvillo, and many more have failed drug tests due to marijuana usage. However, Nick Diaz’s case is widely regarded as one of the worst in MMA history, particularly due to the harsh punishment meted out to him.
The combat sports legend and globally recognized marijuana proponent is yet to compete in an MMA fight after the aforementioned 2015 matchup. That said, Nick Diaz is rumored to have planned great things for 2021.
Furthermore, Jon Jones – another well-known proponent of marijuana – posted an image of the change to the UFC weed rules with a caption that read as follows:
“2021 already lit”
Tough assignments await Jon Jones in 2021
Jon Jones is expected to make his Heavyweight debut this year. Jones is purportedly set to face the winner of the title fight between UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and challenger Francis Ngannou.
Miocic bested Ngannou via unanimous decision in their first fight back in 2018, and their rematch is expected to take place in April 2021.
On that note, many in the combat sports world believe that Jon Jones will face the toughest tests of his career at heavyweight. This belief is primarily due to the highly unpredictable nature and extremely low margin of error that characterizes the Heavyweight division.