Jones tested positive in an out-of-competition sample collection by the United States Anti-Doping Authority (Usada) on 16 June.
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Cormier got booked to fight Anderson Silva at UFC 200 the following night, but White says ever since he heard about Jones’ positive drug test, he hasn’t spoken to the interim light heavyweight champion and says he has no need to speak with him anytime soon.
It is believed that Jones tested positive for two separate banned substances, but USADA won’t release the name of the PED (s) until there has been a finding of guilt. The fight will be three rounds, White said, because Silva is fighting on two days’ notice. “I’m thankful I’m here”.
“I haven’t trained in a few months, but I think I’m in good condition to go in there and put on a good fight”, a smiling Silva said through a translator at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Silva, 41, has fought three times at 205 pounds, defeating James Irvin in July 2008, Forrest Griffin in August 2009 and Stephan Bonnar in October 2012, all by first-round knockout. Cormier has only lost to Jones in his MMA career, and he is coming off a full training camp for what he thought would be the defining fight of his life.
Although the return of Brock Lesnar was undoubtedly the biggest draw for the landmark card, the light heavyweight title fight grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier filled the main event slot.
“Listen, I don’t know where Lorenzo [Fertitta] is on this issue, but I still haven’t talked to Jon Jones”, White said, per MMAFighting.com’s Chuck Mindenhall.
“I’m going to have to run a lot”, Silva joked at a news conference Thursday night. “Anything can happen but I’m prepared”.
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That pizza helped Silva bulk up to 198.5 pounds, compared to Cormier’s 206, in Friday’s official weigh-in. At the end of the day, I’m a fighter, and even though I may seem broken up here, I’m not broken.
