Askren on Vitor's drug test: 'If I was Jon Jones, I'd be so f--king annoyed right now'

In the days after Josh Gross and John Nash's respective reports on the UFC's handling of Vitor Belfort's suspicious drug test results, the attention has shifted to the apparent decision by the UFC not to notify Jon Jones of Belfort's high levels of testosterone, or his TRT usage in general. Jones' manager, Malki Kawa, went on Twitter and said that Jones was "angry" about the whole situation.

Today on Periscope, ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren chipped in his thoughts on the ongoing controversy, and put himself in Jon Jones' shoes, also using the public revealing of Jones' positive test for cocaine metabolites earlier in the year as a point of comparison. (Via MMA Fighting)

"It's really hilarious that Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine in a test which he should not have been tested for, right? Because they're not supposed to test for recreational drugs outside of competition. And the UFC made that public, or that was made public, right? And it's not supposed to be," Askren said on Friday.

"And on the flip side, when Jon Jones fought Vitor Belfort, [Belfort] tested positive for a substance, or was over the limits for a substance he wasn't supposed to be using, and that was covered up. Dude, if I was Jon Jones, I'd be so f--king annoyed right now. I would be so annoyed if I was Jon Jones right now that the UFC is making my stuff public, which is not supposed to be public, and they're keeping Vitor under wraps when he's fighting me, when he's clearly, clearly, blatantly cheating. Wow, I would be mad."

For the record, I'm pretty sure that MMA Junkie and other outlets reported Jones' cocaine use before the UFC ever made public comment on the matter, so that would be an issue to take up with the Nevada Athletic Commission. But the main point remains valid and it once again highlights the UFC's historically rocky relationship with their former LHW champion. Keep in mind that the fight was booked right after UFC 151 was cancelled, which Dana White initially squarely blamed on Jon Jones and Greg Jackson. Jones sustained an elbow injury in his fight with Belfort, who caused it by almost getting the armbar in round 1, but from the details we know of because of this week's reports, there was an argument for pulling Vitor from the fight altogether. Instead, he nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.