LAS VEGAS – UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones said he’s OK with the scrutiny that’s a part of his life under the microscope.

That doesn’t change his reaction every time picograms show up in Jones’ (23-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) system, as they have again prior to Saturday’s UFC 235 title fight with Anthony Smith (31-13 MMA, 7-3 UFC) which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“Every time, it’s like an, ‘Oh, darn it’ moment,” Jones told reporters, including MMAjunkie, at UFC 235 open workouts. “But I’m comfortable with the idea that this is going to be part of my career, and I don’t know how long this is going to last.”

On Thursday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission released the results of six drug tests conducted as part of a program tailored for Jones after the M3 steroid metabolite caused a series of positive and negative tests.

The NSAC declined to license Jones for a fight at T-Mobile this past December at UFC 232, but allowed him to face Smith on the condition that he be rigorously tested in the buildup to Saturday’s pay-per-view and for the remainder of the year.

As the NSAC’s latest findings show, Jones still isn’t out of the woods with the M3 metabolite. He returned adverse results in two of five tests available with 40 picograms/mL or less in his system.

But Jones remains optimistic about the highly unusual circumstances surrounding his career.

“What makes me sleep good at night is knowing that I’ve submitted myself to every drug test,” he said. “I’m getting tested by three of the most powerful agencies in the world. I’ve never avoided a test, and I just feel the more I’m accessible, the more data they’ll have in this situation, and the more everybody will understand.”

Understanding is something the UFC’s 205-pound champ often finds lacking from the public, which has cast a skeptical eye at the narrative surrounding his recent tests. The fact that he can continue to fight despite a steroid metabolite in his system is enough for many to write him off and the commissions that enable him to compete.

Jones understands he’s not the only one to go through this, he’s comforted by the fact that there are others who continue to come up positive for the M3 metabolite of oral turinabol. He cited an unnamed player in Major League Baseball and a fighter in the UFC, believed to be Grant Dawson, whose anti-doping case was dismissed after his positive was traced back to before he joined the promotion.

At the same time, Jones is bearing most of the scrutiny. And he gets a reminder of that every time a story reports his roller-coaster of positives and negatives.

“I’m almost a leader in this whole development, and I’m comfortable in this space,” he said. “I just wish fans would not just look at the headlines and actually click on the links and learn what’s really going on. But I’ve set myself free from any level of embarrassment. I have no shame. I’ve said many times that I’ve never knowingly done anything to do any type of sports enhancement, drugs or whatnot. Now, I’m just here getting back to what’s important.”

And that, he said, is staying champion after Saturday night. He’s reframed his title defense as an attack on a new belt. He promises he’s taking massive underdog Smith seriously and will do his job.

With two sanctions for anti-doping violations, the chance of Jones being able to avoid a negative spotlight are slim. But he’s committed to proving he’s a clean fighter, whatever the critics say.

For more on UFC 235, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.