Jon Jones accused of using banned PEDs as Colby Covington feud escalates

UFC welterweight Colby Covington has claimed that former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Jon Jones resorted to taking steroids during their time together at college.

Covington and Jones were roommates at Iowa Central Community College before they signed with the UFC several years later.

The pair shared a close friendship, but almost two decades on they are now fierce enemies, regularly trading insults during their respective tenures in the UFC.

Jones previously accused Covington of being jealous of what he has achieved in the sport after the welterweight suggested ‘Bones’ had been ducking a fight with current UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall before he retired last summer.

Now, Covington has claimed that his feud with his former college roommate dates back to when Jones allegedly started taking steroids in order to gain size.

Speaking to Daniel Cormier earlier this week, Covington said: “It wasn’t until my last year in college that he started using testosterone.

“Because he wanted to bulk up from 197 to heavyweight. So his plan was like, ‘Hey, let’s just start doing a bunch of testosterone to get strength and get bigger.’ That’s when his mood swings started going all over the place.”

The 38-year-old then suggested that Jones started acting aggressively towards him over small things, such as leaving his shoes in the wrong place.

“He would freak out about little s**t that didn’t matter, just because he was having mood swings from all the chemicals and the steroids he was putting in his body,” he added. “That’s facts. No one can dispute that. He failed two or three drug tests. The guy’s a cheater, bro. He was doing it in college because he wanted to bulk up to heavyweight. He didn’t want to go 197 any more.”

Although it is unclear whether Covington’s remarks are true, Jones was involved in several drug-related controversies during his MMA career, including being banned for 15 months after testing positive for the banned substance Turinabol before his bout against Cormier at UFC 214.

Turinabol – otherwise known as chlorodehydromethyltestosterone – is designed to improve strength, speed and muscle mass without side effects, according to NPR.

Jones won the fight, but it was later ruled a no-contest, with Cormier reinstated as UFC Light Heavyweight champion.

However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) found Jones “was not intentionally cheating”.