In a Tuesday court hearing, Jon Jones pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, stemming from an incident in the early hours of May 19 in which he crashed his 2012 Bentley into a telephone pole in Binghamton, New York.
According to The Press & Sun-Bulletin, after Jones made the plea in Binghamton City Court, judge Daniel Seidin suspended his driving privileges and ordered him to undergo an alcohol abuse and dependency evaluation.
Related misdemeanor charges for an improper turn and deviating from a direct course were dismissed, according to WBNG, which noted that under a plea deal, Jones’ attorney expects him to receive a fine and a conditional discharge.
According to the reports, Jones’ next hearing on the matter will be on June 19. He faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Jones’ arrest came less than one month after his last match, a UFC 145 unanimous decision victory over Rashad Evans, a victory that marked his fourth consecutive against a onetime UFC champion.
The incident has not changed the UFC’s plan to have Jones defend his light-heavyweight championship against Dan Henderson on September 1 in Las Vegas.
Last week, Jones flew to Las Vegas to meet with UFC president Dana White and Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. Over the weekend, White reasserted his support of Jones through the legal issues.
“He’s a young kid. He’s a young kid and he’s going to need a lot of guidance,” he said. “The kid is incredibly talented, he’s starting to make tons of money and he’s getting really famous. Those are all the recipes for disaster.”