Jon Jones: 'Collective decision' to attend rehab resulted in out-patient treatment, weekly drug tests

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon Jones came under fire after zipping in and out of a drug rehabilitation facility in less than 24 hours, not long after it was revealed that "Bones" tested positive for cocaine in his UFC 182 pre-fight drug test.

Blame his mom for spilling the beans.

But Jones insists his trip to the nearest treatment center wasn't a publicity stunt, nor was it an admission of addiction. Instead, it was to satisfy his "business partners" by undergoing a medical evaluation, one designed to determine the extent of his drug use.

From his FOX Sports Live interview:

"Me going to rehab was, I would say it was a collective decision between myself and some of my business partners. They thought it would be good. I told them right away, 'Dude, I don't have a drug problem, I just got caught.' They said, 'Jon, we don't know if you have a drug problem or not. Listen, how about you go to rehab and let them decide how healthy you are. So I went to a rehab facility and I did a 24-hour evaluation, where I spoke to three doctors for almost seven hours. We talked about drugs and the role they've played in my life and my upbringing. They came to the conclusion that I didn't need in-patient treatment, so they put me in an out-patient house. I stayed there the next day with a bunch of different addicts. The counselor came to me at the house and he set me down and he said, 'Jon, I really believe that you made a big mistake and that you don't need to live here with us full time, but what I will do is continue to drug test you and to come by your house twice a week, or however often.'"

Watch his full video interview here.

Jones (21-1) went on to successfully defend his title at UFC 182 earlier this month, but news of his positive drug test resulted in a $25,000 fine from his employer, since recreational drug use constitutes a violation of the promotion's code of conduct policy (read it here).

As for the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), the agency responsible for administering the test, there won't be any repercussions, since "Bones" wasn't even supposed to be tested for cocaine in the first place (more on that fiasco here).

Jones is expected to defend his 205-pound title later this year against the winner of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson, who collide this weekend (Jan. 24, 2015) at UFC on FOX 14 in Stockholm, Sweden (details).

For much more on Jones drug test, UFC 182, and the aftermath of both events, click here.