Anderson Silva and Anthony Johnson Defend Jon Jones in Wake of Fan Criticism

Jon Jones is a human being like everybody else, which means he’s capable of making mistakes like everybody else.

The reigning UFC light heavyweight champ has spent the better part of the last week fanning the scorching flames of public scrutiny, following the announcement that he had failed a random drug test leading up to his title fight with Daniel Cormier.

Jones, who is widely recognized as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, tested positive for benzoylecgonine, which is the primary metabolite in cocaine. News of the positive testing opened the floodgates for harsh criticism from fans and major media outlets.

BloodyElbow.com writer Anton Tabuena even went as far as suggesting that the UFC suspend and strip Jones of the light heavyweight title.

Much of the outrage stemming from the Jones incident is being directed at the lack of discipline. Due to the positive testing being out of competition, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has no bounds to punish Jones. Any form of punishment was left up to the discretion of the UFC.

There was no suspension or title stripping, just a $25,000 fine handed down to one of the most prolific athletes in MMA history.

Anderson Silva, the greatest fighter in MMA history, has a valued opinion on this situation both as a fighter and a close friend of Jones. When speaking with Brazilian news outlet Terra, per MMAFighting.com, the former UFC middleweight champ encouraged fans to see the humanity in the situation:

"

Everybody makes mistakes, we have to stop criticizing him and start to support him so he can come back and become a better person than he already is. This doesn’t match with who he is, a great person with millions of fans, just like me. He will overcome that and come back. He’s too young, has too much to learn. It happens, so he can understand how important he is in this sport.

"

Top light heavyweight contender Anthony Johnson is scheduled to fight Alexander Gustafsson on Saturday night for an opportunity to challenge Jones for the UFC title. Ahead of the UFC on Fox 14 event in Stockholm, Johnson echoed Silva’s comments, reminding fans that Jones is a human being capable of making the same mistakes as everyone else.

"

He’s human, he’s not perfect and everybody has been dogging him,” Johnson said in an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani. “Everybody needs to think about their life and tell me when their life was absolutely perfect. A lot of people don’t think about that. The crazy part is when somebody’s down, people want to keep stepping on you and hitting you when you’re down. They don’t want to reach down and try to help you up.

"

Johnson, who has dealt with his own issues, appeared personally fired up about the blind judgment being placed on Jones.

Several months ago, Johnson was suspended indefinitely from the UFC after being accused of domestic violence. People were quick to judge, despite Johnson claiming his innocence. The suspension was eventually lifted and the civil case absolved.

Jones spoke for the first time regarding the failed drug test in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports’ Charissa Thompson on Monday. According to Jones, the drug was taken at a party.

He is currently undergoing outpatient counseling as recommended by doctors at a rehab facility.

It’s easy to magnify the judgment passed on individuals we see on television from the comfort of our living rooms. Being judged and criticized for each and every mistake you make in your personal life is the price of fame.

Perhaps the most saddening fact in all of this is that there are individuals out there who simply want to see Jones fail. That’s a hard pill to swallow for any athlete, let alone a 27-year-old with his entire life ahead of him.

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon and FanRag.