USADA arbitration decision and 15-month sanction

On September 19, 2018 USADA published a summary of an independent-arbitrator decision in which arbitrator Richard H. McLaren imposed a 15-month period of ineligibility on Jon Jones tied to the in-competition positive test around UFC 214 (sample collected July 28, 2017). The arbitrator’s finding, summarized by USADA, included language that the arbitrator 'found that Jon Jones was not intentionally cheating in this case' while nonetheless imposing a reduced sanction based on degree-of-fault considerations and 'substantial assistance' referenced in the public summary [3]. The decision adjusted the timeline for Jones’ eligibility and clarified that the sanction was retroactive to July 28, 2017, which affected when he could return to competition. The arbitration followed investigatory and commission actions, including the CSAC overturn of the UFC 214 result to a no-contest on September 13, 2017, and was part of the formal adjudication process involving anti-doping authorities and independent review [2][3][8].

The USADA arbitration is central to the rivalry because it provided an adjudicated outcome that balanced culpability and sanction: an imposed suspension affected Jones’ competitive availability while the arbitrator’s statement that Jones was 'not intentionally cheating' left interpretive room in public perception. The arbitration formalized anti-doping consequences connected to the UFC 214 fight and influenced legacy debates about the legitimacy of Jones’ performances and titles [3][8].

Following the arbitration, Jones’ period of ineligibility was established retroactive to July 28, 2017, and media coverage framed the ruling as both punitive and mitigating due to the arbitrator’s language. The decision closed a chapter of formal anti-doping adjudication in the public record through September 2018, though questions about contamination provenance and private arbitration details remained unaddressed in public documents [3][8]. The arbitration’s timeline and findings have been used in subsequent commentary about Jones’ career and the Jones–Cormier rivalry.