Jon Jones posts long, reflective message on one-year anniversary of Daniel Cormier KO

At this time last year, Jon Jones was on top of the world.

Jones scored what should’ve been the highlight of his career on July 29, 2017 when he knocked out rival Daniel Cormier with a third-round head kick at UFC 214. But the glory was short-lived. Shortly after, news broke that Jones tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol in a sample collected the day of weigh-ins. The incident marked Jones’ second USADA failure and restarted the sort of self-destructive cycle that has typified the light heavyweight legend’s run since he first was stripped of his UFC title in 2015.

Jones, 31, is still awaiting resolution on his case with USADA and faces a potential maximum penalty of a four-year suspension. In his stead, Cormier has not only reclaimed his spot atop the light heavyweight, but has also risen to become one of only two simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history with his first-round knockout of record-breaking heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.

This past weekend, on the one-year anniversary of his UFC 214 matchup against Cormier — which was ultimately overturned into a no-contest — Jones posted a long, reflective message to Instagram discussing his struggles since his life once again turned upside down.

“To go from the spotlight to darkness, and have everything taken away from me again was a hardship the public will never truly understand,” Jones wrote. “It bent me but did not break me and I had to learn to fight in a different way.”

Jones’ complete post can be read below.

Time has a way of putting things into perspective. One year ago today I knocked out Daniel Cormier to reclaim my light heavyweight title. It was the culmination of all the sacrifice and hard work put in on the road back to where I truly know I belong. That’s at the top...the only place I’ve ever dreamed of being. Turns out it wasn’t a forever moment but a fleeting one as two weeks later I find out on TMZ of all places my title has been stripped and I’m suspended once again. To go from the spotlight to darkness, and have everything taken away from me again was a hardship the public will never truly understand. It bent me but did not break me and I had to learn to fight in a different way. I’ve spent the last year living right and getting healthy, but much of that work was spent correcting and repairing my mental space. Call it weakness if you will but even the toughest individuals need assistance getting back on track. I’ll be back, and when I am it will be a more complete version than the world has ever seen. You have to turn the lemons life gives you into lemonade, and you have to take time to sit back and enjoy it. The struggles don’t define you. It’s how you handle them that determines who you are. Be good, enjoy the day and God bless.