Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is currently scheduled to become the first UFC athlete to enter an arbitration hearing with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
An arbitration hearing has been scheduled on Oct. 31 in Los Angeles, sources told ESPN. Jones is appealing a USADA sanction, based on a failed drug test he submitted earlier this year.
MMAFighting.com first reported Jones' hearing.
Jones, 29, was removed from a UFC 200 main event title fight against Daniel Cormier in July, several days before the Las Vegas event, due to a potential anti-doping violation.
It was later revealed Jones tested positive for clomiphene and traces of letrozole during an out-of-competition drug test. Both are characterized as banned specified substances under the UFC's anti-doping program and carry a maximum one-year suspension.
In addition to sanctions from USADA, Jones faces potential discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, due to the fact the fight was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas. The NSAC granted Jones a continuance on his disciplinary hearing earlier this month.
Jones (22-1) has denied all wrongdoing in the positive test. One day after being pulled from UFC 200, he held an emotional press conference in Las Vegas in which he stated, "To this day, I'm extremely against performance enhancers."
Jones' team has been in the process of clearing his name, although have not publicly divulged details on the effort since the press conference. His management team did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the arbitration hearing.
Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, Jones is still the UFC's interim 205-pound champion. He was the undisputed light heavyweight titleholder from 2011 to 2015, but was stripped by the promotion last year due to legal issues.
According to the UFC program's arbitration rules, a decision is to be rendered within 30 days of the hearing. Jones, who is considered a first-time offender, is responsible for various expenses associated with the procedure.