Anderson Silva is unsure if his friend Jon Jones should come back to the UFC.
The MMA legend told TMZ that Jones “needs to change everything in his life” when cameras caught up with him in Los Angeles this week. Silva gave a half-answer when asked if the UFC should bring him back.
“I don’t think so,” Silva said. “Jones is a good boy — he’s a good man. He needs to focus.”
Jones was arrested April 27, one day after he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run car accident in Albuquerque, N.M. “Bones” was driving a rental SUV when he allegedly ran a red light and crashed into a car driven by a pregnant woman. The woman sustained a broken arm in the collision. Jones allegedly fled the scene, but only after coming back and grabbing a handful of cash.
Jones is facing a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injury. On April 28, he appeared in court for his felony first appearance. He’ll now await the Bernalillo County district attorney’s decision whether or not to bring the case to a grand jury.
A day after his arrest, UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta flew down to Albuquerque to speak with Jones and his lawyer Vincent Ward. That same day, White announced on FOX Sports 1 that he would be stripping Jones of the light heavyweight title and suspending him indefinitely.
Jones was scheduled to face Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 this Saturday in Las Vegas. Daniel Cormier will replace him in the main event, which will be for the vacant title.
Jones’ manager Malki Kawai told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour two weeks ago that he’s “50-50” on whether Jones will come back to the UFC and MMA.
“I love Jones,” Silva said. “He needs to change everything in life. It’s very important.”
Silva is facing some issues of his own. The former UFC middleweight champion tested positive for anabolic steroids before and after his UFC 183 main event fight with Nick Diaz in January. “The Spider” will face the Nevada Athletic Commission for a disciplinary hearing, likely next month.