UFC News: Jon Jones eligible to fight in October, following USADA suspension

What's next?

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is now once again eligible to make his return to the UFC and could very well return to the Octagon a lot sooner than initially expected.

In case you didn't know...

After receiving a one-year suspension by the USADA in 2016 for a potential doping violation, Jon Jones finally made his much-awaited return to the Octagon on the 29th of July, 2017 in a rematch against his arch-rival Daniel Cormier for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

At UFC 214, in his first fight in almost one year, Jon Jones recaptured the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship by defeating DC via Knockout in the third round of their fight and eventually became a two-time UFC LHW Champion.

However, following his historic title win, on the 22nd of August, Jon Jones was allegedly tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid and was placed on a provisional suspension as a result of the positive drug test. Shortly afterward, Jones was stripped-off his Light Heavyweight Championship as well.

The heart of the matter

On Wednesday night, The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced that former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has received a 15-month suspension for his second anti-doping offense, meaning that the 31-year-old is now apparently eligible to compete at the upcoming UFC 230 pay-per-view in October.

It was initially noted that the USADA could've very well banned Jon Jones for a total of four years, but it has now been discovered that the former two-time Light Heavyweight Champion was not intentionally cheating and therefore, Jones' four-year ban was reduced by 30 months for his assistance and again by the independent arbitrator who heard the case.

In response, Jones took it to the social media and stated that his heart is filled with gratitude and appreciation, as the former 205-pound champion now looks to shift his focus towards his Octagon return.

View this post on Instagram

It’s difficult to express myself at this moment but I can definitely say my heart is filled with gratitude and appreciation. I want to thank all of you who have stood by me during the toughest stretch of my life. It has meant the world to me and always will. But now is the time to shift the focus front and center to the road ahead. Greatness is what I’m chasing and the path to reclaiming my throne is now officially open. Comeback Season begins now

A post shared by Jon Bones Jones (@jonnybones) on Sep 19, 2018 at 5:35pm PDT

What's next?

As aforementioned, Jon Jones is now cleared to make his return this October, meaning that the former Light Heavyweight Champion could very well fill the void for the main event spot at UFC 230.

However, only time will tell what the future holds for Jonny Bones inside the Octagon.