Jon Jones made a mistake. Everybody makes them, but when the person making the error in judgment is the UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the fastest rising stars in sports, everything gets magnified. Now he must take steps to restore his image.
Jones pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated earlier in the week, stemming from an incident where he struck a pole a couple weeks ago. Loretta Hunt of Sports Illustrated reports it’s now known that he had two passengers in the car with him at the time.
Even though everybody escaped the crash without suffering any serious injuries, Jones put everybody at risk and should consider himself fortunate that nothing tragic occurred.
The first thing he needs to do is understand how important of a person he has become over the past few years. He’s not just another face in the crowd anymore due to his tremendous success in the Octagon, so he’s in the spotlight like never before.
Every move he makes will be watched closely and analyzed repeatedly, especially when it’s something as serious as a car crash. And when you’re the face of an entire brand, mistakes like that can’t happen.
When they do, the backlash is warranted.
That’s a lot of pressure on a 24-year-old fighter who’s just starting to understand what fame brings, both positively and negatively. But it’s not an excuse. He should be mature enough to know the consequences for every choice he makes.
After the sentencing occurs and the situation finally passes, it will be crucial that he stays out of trouble for an extended period of time. The only reason he should end up making headlines is when he crushes another opponent.
He doesn’t want to gain the reputation of somebody who can’t stay out of trouble, because that tends to overshadow an entire career. He’s well on his way to becoming the biggest MMA star on the planet, but further mistakes can end that rise in a heartbeat.
It doesn’t mean he can’t have any fun. There’s no problem with going out and having a good time, especially when you have to work as hard as him to remain in elite shape. Making better choices after that is the key.
Hopefully the crash serves as a wake-up call for Jones and he stays out of trouble. Everybody will move past it over time and that’s when his image will return to full strength. Another lapse in judgment will put it in jeopardy forever.
It’s all up to Jones.
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