Joe Rogan defends CSAC director Andy Foster, UFC exec Jeff Novitzky after controversial UFC 232 move

Despite the assurances of California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) director Andy Foster and UFC VP of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky, some members of the MMA community still aren’t convinced that Jon Jones is completely clean heading into to his UFC 232 showdown with Alexander Gustafsson. In the opinion of UFC commentator Joe Rogan, however, Foster and Novitzky’s comments on the topic of Jones’ “atypical” drug test findings can be trusted. He reminds that both men are experts in their fields.

“Andy Foster – I have a great deal of respect for that guy,” Rogan said on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast (transcript via MMAjunkie). “Very proactive with weight-cutting, very proactive with weight classes, very proactive with a lot of the rules. He’s really good. If he believes this is scientifically proven to be the same exact thing that [Jon Jones] has already been punished for, I agree with him. That guy knows what the (expletive) he’s talking about. Same with (Jeff) Novitzky, same with all the other people saying it’s legit.”

While Joe Rogan is willing to vouch for Andy Foster and Jeff Novitzky, he does have some lingering questions about the Jon Jones situation. He’s wondering if the UFC would have made the same choices if it had been a less high-profile fighter whose drug test results turned up an anomaly.

“Here’s the question: Have other people still been punished for the exact same crime?” he asked. “Have other people tested positive for the exact same thing? This is what I do not know. Is this preferential treatment? That’s what the argument would be: Is it preferential treatment? Because tainted supplements are a legitimate problem.”

What do you think of these comments from Joe Rogan?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 12/27/2018.