The California State Athletic Commission has cleared Jon Jones to return to competition but is also encouraging him to voluntarily submit to additional drug testing ahead of an upcoming UFC title fight at the end of the month.
Jones (22-1) is scheduled to face Alexander Gustafsson for the light heavyweight title at UFC 232 on Dec. 29. That fight will take place in Las Vegas, but Jones was required to appear before the California commission first to tie up loose ends related to a license revocation last year.
Going into Tuesday, there was very little chance of the CSAC interfering with Jones' return. There was a bit of a surprise though, when CSAC member Martha Shen-Urquidez asked Jones to enlist in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) ahead of his next fight.
Jones, 31, has tested positive for banned substances in 2016 and 2017. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which administers the UFC's drug program, has ruled that both failed tests were unintentional.
Shen-Urquidez, however, encouraged Jones to undergo further testing in an effort to clear his name.
"You and I both know there is a large number of people that still have doubts," Shen-Urquidez told Jones, who attended the hearing in person. "They are out there, and it's not just a little bit of doubt. There are people who have serious doubts over this.
"I, for one, would like to put those doubts to sleep and put them away once and for all; for people to believe that you are that talented, you are the greatest, and can win a fight just clean."
Through his attorney, Howard Jacobs, Jones, who trains out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said he was open to the proposal, but would need to educate himself on the VADA program before agreeing to it. A representative for Jones told ESPN they would need time before further comment.
Whether Jones enlists in the VADA program or not, he will be tested by the USADA, as all UFC athletes are.
The CSAC initially revoked Jones' license effective Aug. 28, 2017, after he tested positive for metabolites of an anabolic steroid prior to a fight against Daniel Cormier in July 2017. He paid a $205,000 fine and agreed to community service on Tuesday to regain his license.
The 205-pound title fight on Dec. 29 is a rematch of one of the greatest title fights in UFC history. Gustafsson (18-4) nearly upset Jones the first time they met in September 2013. That five-round fight remains one of the closest bouts of Jones' storied career.