WEDNESDAY NEWS DIGEST 12/26: Jon Jones agrees to VADA testing, and more.

Jon Jones (Mark J. Rebilas) — Jon Jones (photo credit Mark J. Rebilas © USA Today Sports)

Jon Jones update and current status leading into UFC 232

Wherever Jon Jones goes, drama follows. Jones, who is scheduled to fight for the UFC Light-heavyweight Championship this weekend will be doing so with a cloud of suspicion above his head due to another run in with USADA. Initial reports were that Jones tested positive for trace amounts of Turinabol, the same drug that led to his recent suspension, but that the positive test was the result of something called a “pulsing” effect. Basically, it was residual from the previous positive test that led to the suspension. Taking it from the top we learned earlier this week that UFC 232 would be moving from Nevada to California following an abnormality in a USADA administered drug test given to Jon Jones. Nevada determined that they did not have the time to properly investigate the matter and would not be clearing Jones to compete in his scheduled bout. The UFC reacted to this news by announcing that UFC 232 would be relocated. This was obviously met with a bit of skepticism from fans and fighters alike. Now for starters, it must be made clear that a certain amount of this skepticism comes from the fact that Jones has a bit of a reputation when it comes to these issues but that doesn’t mean that he is automatically guilty. In fact, according to CSAC Andy Foster when speaking to MMAFighting.com, Jones has done nothing wrong.

“We’ve got a statement from three different scientists, from the [WADA-accredited] lab director [at SMRTL in Salt Lake City] saying there’s no evidence of any new ingestion,” Foster said. “This isn’t a new thing. This is what he’s been punished for already. He’s already served his time on this.”

This, of course, will not be enough to satisfy some people, especially those that are already a bit suspicious of USADA due to events such as this one, and the Brock Lesnar ordeal from UFC 200. But Jones has taken steps to reassure those still willing to listen that he is a clean athlete. After initially declining to enroll in the VADA drug testing program after it was suggested by the CSAC, Jones has reconsidered and will enroll in the program. He will be tested by both USADA and VADA for his upcoming bout with Alexander Gustafsson and will continue in the VADA program for three to six months afterward. One could perhaps make an argument that Jones is the most tested fighter in the UFC with these new developments as he is the only fighter currently and in history to be enrolled in both programs at the same time. So, while this is certainly a bump in the road it does appear as though Jones has done nothing wrong for the most part and this fight will go on as planned. Perhaps the most disturbing part of this whole ordeal though is the news that several fighters on the card found out through social media that the event was being relocated. It’s a bit sad to see that the UFC will move an entire event for one fighter so that they can keep him on the card but they don’t have enough respect for the others to inform them of the move.

Wednesday Notebook

-The CSAC will give fighters a three-hour window to weigh in on Friday morning instead of the usual two hours.

-Macy Chiasson will fight Gina Mazany at UFC 235 from Las Vegas according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

-UFC welterweight Alex Oliveira was in an altercation on Christmas Eve in Brazil where he ended up with a grenade thrown at him. “One guy came up and pointed a gun at my nephew’s face, and that’s when people started pushing each other,” Oliveira told TV Rio Sul. “They had machetes, knives, a grenade. They threw a grenade in my direction. Fragments flew to my leg and my foot.” Oliveira said he had surgery to remove the fragments from his leg. He did not give an indication of recovery time.