Jones lands temporary license, set for UFC 232

[December 12, 2018]    Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was granted a temporary fight license Tuesday by the California State Athletic Commission, allowing him to move forward with a scheduled bout against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232.

Jon Jones puts his arms in the air after the UFC light heavy weight championship fight against Glover Texeira at Baltimore Arena. Jones retained the light heavy weight championship by defeating Teixeria. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The ruling removes Jones from the suspended list, where he landed after testing positive for an anabolic steroid following his UFC 214 victory over Daniel Cormier in Anaheim, Calif., on July 29, 2017.

That fight was later declared "no contest," and Jones was suspended and fined $205,000. Jones, 31, paid the fine and agreed to a sentence of community service.

According to MMAweekly.com, CSAC executive director Andy Foster began the Tuesday hearing regarding Jones' license by saying, "I am here to support this man's right to make a living. My recommendation right off the bat is this man gets a license, a temporary license, while he provides a community service plan that is laid out to the commission. But ultimately, my goal as your executive officer is this man walk out of this room and he can fight Alexander Gustafsson in two and a half weeks, or however long it is, in Las Vegas."

UFC 232 is scheduled for Dec. 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Jones (22-1, 1 no-contest) vs. Gustafsson (18-4) is the main event, with Cris Cyborg (19-1, 1 no-contest) vs. Amanda Nunes (16-4) as the next-top-billed bout.

Jones also recently came off a 15-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, a punishment that ended Oct. 28.

Jones defeated Gustafsson by unanimous decision at UFC 165 on Sept. 21, 2013, in Toronto.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.