UFC President Dana White is ready to put Jon Jones back in the octagon, though it won’t be this year.

In a prepared statement to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, White agreed with an independent arbitrator’s opinion that Jones (21-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) didn’t knowingly cheat and pinned his positive test on a contaminated supplement.

White added: “The science completely supports that finding. The science doesn’t lie, so I look forward to getting him back early next year.”

In a follow-up text message to MMAjunkie, White ruled out the possibility of Jones fighting at UFC 230, which takes place just five days after the former light heavyweight champion becomes eligible to fight again.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Wednesday announced Jones, 31, received a 15-month suspension for his second anti-doping violation, which stems from a failed in-competition test following his knockout win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214. His suspension is retroactive to July 28, 2017, the date his positive sample was collected, making him eligible to fight Oct. 28.

Jones was facing a four-year suspension for his second anti-doping offense. But even before he went to arbitration, he received a 30-month reduction from USADA based on “delivery of substantial assistance,” or providing information on another athlete’s anti-doping violation. Based on that, Jones faced a maximum suspension of 18 months.

The independent arbitrator, well known anti-doping investigator Richard McLaren, found Jones had “some degree of fault” for the steroid metabolite that showed up in his system, but “the violation was not intended nor could it have enhanced” his performance.

While Jones initially was flagged for oral turinabol, a steroid linked to Olympic doping scandals in the 1960s and 1970s, McLaren’s decision stated the World Anti-Doping Agency-certified lab didn’t find the “parent drug” or its short and medium term metablites. Instead, they found an “extremely low” level of the steroid metabolite M3, which is linked to five anabolic agents, including turinabol.

The report said after his positive test, Jones told USADA he used 14 supplements in 2017, none of which were advertised to contain banned substances. They were then “laboratory tested” and found to have any banned substances or illegal metabolites.

McLaren found that Jones could have taken greater steps to avoid another violation by using third-party tested supplements, and that the fighter “assumed incorrectly” that he was using supplements approved by USADA.

But when assessing what penalties the fighter should face, McLaren favored a lower level of punishment. He repeatedly pointed to Jones’ demeanor, finding him “a truthful witness” and “a very credible person who was well intended and well meaning.”

McLaren also cast Jones as a victim of sorts, caught up in the anti-doping process despite his efforts to do the right thing.

“Jon Jones has gone through a great deal of difficulties,” he wrote. “He gave me the very distinct impression that he has learned a lot from the loss of the image of himself that he had as a champion MMA fighter. He has been humbled and humiliated by the experience, but has learned from his misfortune. He needs the opportunity to regain his dignity and self-esteem.”

Prior to the announcement of his suspension, Jones said he relished the chance to beat Cormier and take his light heavyweight and heavyweight titles. In the wake of the arbitrator’s decision, Cormier appears to have shot down the idea and looked instead toward a fight against Brock Lesnar.

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