Jon Jones cleared to fight by CSAC
SAC Executive Director Andy Foster: “I am here to support this man’s right to make a living.”
Today the California State Athletic Commission unanimously voted to grant former light heavyweight Jon Jones a temporary license to fight, and to remove him from the suspension list. Although he will be required to do community service, the fight vs. Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC 232 on December 29 can now proceed. Jones had failed a USADA-administered test for Turinabol, and eventually received a 15-month suspension from that body; in addition, CSAC had also suspended Jones, pending this hearing.
I am here to support this man’s right to make a living,” said CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster, as transcribed by Ken Pushna for MMA Weekly. 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.”
Commissioner Martha Shen-Urquidez also suggested Jones submit to additional testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency.
You and I both know that there are a large number of people that still have some doubts,’ she said. “It’s not just a little bit of doubt, but there are people that have serious doubts over this. I, for one, would like to put those doubts to sleep and to put them away once and for all, and for people to believe you that you are that talented and that you can win a fight, just clean, and to put those doubts away once and for all.
I’m just gonna put it out there and see if you will agree to it, and that is for the next, three, four months, whatever it is, if you will agree to sign up for the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency, and if my colleagues will agree, maybe the California State Athletic Commission can pay for it. You belong to VADA for the next four months, whatever it is. You don’t have to agree to that, but if you agree to it, there will be no question, and if you sign up for it in the next few days through the next fight then there will be nobody, nobody that will doubt that you are the clean fighter.
Jones agreed to the VADA testing, pending confirmation on some specifics. Cost of the testing will be paid for out of Jones’ $205,000 fine.