BREAKING: Jon Jones granted one-fight license to fight in Nevada
Jon Jones is able to fight in Nevada again, although it will only be for one fight. This was crucial given the fact he is expected to fight Anthony Smith at UFC 235 on March 2. Jones will have to go under rigorous tests from Nevada State Athletic Commission– at least twice a month, most likely more — from now until March 2. As well, wherever Jones fights, the test results will have to be shared with Nevada, as well as Nevada doing their own random tests on top of USADA and VADA testing.
Meanwhile, if Jones doesn’t continue with the testing following the fight on March 2, it is expected he will not be licensed in Nevada again.
Jones was set to make his long-awaited return to the Octagon for UFC 232. He was set to take on Alexander Gustafsson for the light heavyweight belt at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
However, just days before the fight, picogram levels of an M3 metabolite showed in Jones’ system. Nevada then would not license Jones for the fight. The UFC then decided to move the event to The Forum in Inglewood, California. USADA, the UFC and the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) were adamant that Jones did not re-ingest steroids. The M3 metabolite found were from a previous test after UFC 214 in which Jones was suspended for already.
“The scientists have said there was no evidence of re-administration, the evidence…when we go back and look at the testing from August until now,” Foster said in an interview with Fightful MMA. “It is indisputable that there’s been no re-administration and there’s no way to prove re-administration between July and what I believe is August of 2018. So Jon Jones, like any athlete, is afforded the presumption of innocence. That doesn’t change based on who you are, he served his time…he sat out his time and scientists say…multiple scientists have said, including the expert scientist that I used when I got Jon for the metabolite in 2017, put in writing that there’s no evidence of re-administration”
With that, USADA believed they should not have suspended Jones again for a crime he already served. However, Nevada did not agree with that. Now, Jones had to face the commission to once again apply for a license to fight.
During the hearing, chairman Anthony Marnell III said he has never seen anything like this before. It was also one of the longest hearing of his time as it was around three hours.
