Andy Foster is the Executive Director of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), which will oversee tomorrow nights Bellator 214 card.
A lot of controversy has been surrounding UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones after a VADA test taken the day before UFC 232 showed a long term metabolite in the fighter’s system and there was no more punishment handed to him by the CSAC. Foster says that’s because all the scientists he has spoken to have said that long term metabolite was not re-administered by the fighter to his own body.
“The scientists have said there was no evidence of re-administration, the evidence…when we go back and look at the testing from August until now. It is indisputable that there’s been no re-administration and there’s no way to prove re-administration between July and what I believe is August of 2018, so Jon Jones, like any athlete, is afforded the presumption of innocence. That doesn’t change based on who you are, he served his time…he sat out his time and scientists say…multiple scientists have said, including the expert scientist that I used when I got Jon for the metabolite in 2017, put in writing that there’s no evidence of re-administration,” says Foster in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.
Jones is expected to defend the UFC Light Heavyweight Title against Anthony Smith at UFC 235, assuming the Nevada State Athletic Commission (CSAC) grants Jones a license to fight in the state.
Bellator MMA President Scott Coker has spoken out against the non-punishment to Jones by the CSAC, but Foster says Coker may have a change of heart if he took a look at the documents.
“I love Bellator, Scott Coker is a great promoter. Scott and I have talked about this, he’s welcome to disagree with that decision…I 100% agree that he can disagree with me. He’s not saw these documents, I would be surprised if he had the same opinion after he read those documents. Scott’s a promoter, he’s a great promoter. I’m a regulator, I’m going to let Scott promote and I’m going to do the right thing. Not based on what I feel, based on scientific evidence,” says Foster.
The UFC isn’t not scheduled to run in the state of California again as of this writing, while Bellator will return to the state this March for Bellator 219.
