Jon Jones may have a nice gift waiting for him when he comes back from his yearlong suspension: a UFC light heavyweight championship fight.
In an interview on the UFC Unfiltered podcast (h/t FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin), UFC President Dana White said he expects Jones to face off against the winner of Daniel Cormier’s title defense against Anthony Johnson at UFC 210 on April 8.
“[Jones] is supposed to return around July, so the timing is perfect,” White said. “I haven’t talked to him. I haven’t talked to [Jones] since the whole incident. Depending on where Jon’s head is and where he thinks he is, I would assume he would come right back and try to get his title back.”
In November, the United States Anti-Doping Agency suspended Jones for one year after he tested positive for banned substances. Two estrogen blockers showed up on an out-of-competition drug test from Jones last June.
His suspension began retroactive to July 6, 2016, so he’d be eligible to return to the Octagon this summer.
Jones was set to fight Cormier at UFC 200 on July 9, but UFC removed him from the card following USADA’s notification of his failed drug test. UFC cameras captured the moment White told Cormier of Jones’ infraction (Note: Sequence begins at the 4:13 mark of the video below, and the video contains NSFW language):
Anderson Silva replaced Jones on the card, and Cormier earned a unanimous decision.
White’s stance on Jones appears to have softened in recent months. He told TMZ Sports in November that he wasn’t speaking to the former lightweight champion. Shortly thereafter, he said on the Jim Rome Show (via Martin) that he couldn’t envision Jones in the main event of a pay-per-view anytime soon.
“I would never take the risk of headlining a show with [Jones] again,” White said. “I’d put him on the card, but I wouldn’t headline with him until he can consistently get back on track.”
A rematch between Cormier and Jones in particular would put White’s resolve to the test. Even with Jones out of action for over a year—his last fight was against Ovince Saint Preux last April—fans would be clamoring to see him and Cormier finally face off again.
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