California commission grants Jones temporary license
Move clears the way for his fight vs. Gustafsson on Dec. 29 in Vegas
Albuquerque resident and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones cleared a final hurdle on Tuesday toward his scheduled Dec. 29 UFC title fight against Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson when the California State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to grant him a temporary license.
The Jones-Gustafsson fight is scheduled for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., but Jones’ license had been revoked by the California commission after he tested positive for a banned substance in the wake of his July 29, 2017 light heavyweight title fight against Daniel Cormier in Anaheim, Calif. Jones defeated Cormier by TKO that night, but the fight was declared no contest after Jones tested positive for the banned steroid Turinabol.
State combatsports commissions invariably honor other commissions’ suspensions, license revocations, etc., as well as those issued by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Jones was suspended by USADA for 18 months, later reduced to 15 months, as a result of his positive test for the steroid.
The Jones-Gustafsson fight is for the light heavyweight title because Cormier later defeated Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title and agreed to give up the light heavyweight belt.
Jones-Gustafsson is a rematch of a September 2013 fight, won by Jones via unanimous decision, that is considered one of the most exciting fights in UFC history.
BULLY’S BACK: Albuquerque atomweight (105-pound) MMA fighter Amber “The Bully” Brown (7-4) is scheduled to face Alesha Zappitella (4-0) of Brighton, Mich., on Saturday on an Invicta FC card in Kansas City, Mo.
Brown, who trains at FIT-NHB, last fought more than a year ago, defeating Tessa Simpson (5-3) by first-round submission (arm bar) on an Invicta card Dec. 8, 2017.
Invicta FC 33 will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass, starting at 8 p.m. DEBUT DELAYED: Albuquerque featherweight boxer Jason Sanchez’s debut as a Top Rank, Inc., contract fighter, which had tentatively been scheduled for Jan. 12 in Tucson, apparently will have to wait.
Jordan Perez, Sanchez’s Albuquerque promoter, told the Journal the Jan. 12 bout was scratched because the main event — featuring WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez — had fallen through.
Perez said Top Rank has told him it still would like to have Sanchez fight in January, even if it’s not on a Top Rank card.
Isidro Castillo, a promoter and matchmaker from Hobbs, has a Jan. 26 card scheduled for Amarillo, Texas. The tentative plan is for Sanchez to fight on that card, Perez said.
Sanchez (13-0, six knockouts) defeated Top Rank contract fighter Jean Carlos Rivera (15-1, 10 KOs) in Panama on Oct. 31. Top Rank signed Sanchez to a fouryear contract on Nov. 19.