LAS VEGAS (AP) – A UFC rematch this weekend between Alex Gustafsson and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is being moved from Las Vegas to Southern California after doping officials reported that Jones tested positive for low levels of a banned steroid, officials said Monday.
UFC 232 events that had been set for Saturday at T-Mobile Arena will be held at The Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, UFC spokeswoman Lenee Breckenridge said.
Breckenridge did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about the reason for the relocation.
Jones (22-1) beat Gustafsson (18-4) in a tough bout in 2013. Jones hasn’t fought since for testing positive for a banned steroid in July 2017.
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive Bob Bennett said Jones was allowed to withdraw his application for a fight license in Nevada after commission Chairman Anthony Marnell III said he wanted to postpone the fight until after a January hearing about Jones’ recent doping tests.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said it got notice Thursday that urine samples from a Dec. 9 test showed Jones had what the agency called an extremely small amount of an anabolic steroid metabolite in his system.
