Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is hoping to make a comeback soon if he can clear up his most recent drug-testing failure.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, UFC president Dana White said Jones is “focusing on training” and “absolutely” wants to come back.
Jones has been out of action since UFC 214 last July. He defeated Daniel Cormier to regain the light heavyweight title, but the result was overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid.
After Jones’ B sample came back positive for a banned substance in September, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto noted the 30-year-old could be suspended for up to four years as a two-time offender.
He was pulled from the UFC 200 main event against Cormier when he tested positive for hydroxyclomiphene, an anti-estrogen drug. The United States Anti-Doping Agency subsequently suspended him for one year.
Malki Kawa, Jones’ manager, said on a recent episode of the Luke Thomas Podcast that they are expecting a resolution to his latest drug suspension by the end of March.
Jones owns a 22-1 (one no-contest) record in the UFC. He won the light heavyweight title at UFC 128 over Mauricio Rua and made eight successful title defenses before being stripped of the championship in 2015 for violating the UFC athlete code of conduct.
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