One of the worst things that could’ve happened to the UFC has happened. Their golden boy, Jon Jones, has been arrested for suspicion of DUI, according to TMZ sports as well as a press release by Jon Jones’ manager, Malki Kawa.
Kawa’s press release reads as follows:
“I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI. While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time.”
To paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of Revenge of the Sith, Jon Jones was the chosen one. It was said that he would destroy MMA stereotypes, not join them. He was supposed to bring balance to MMA’s image, not leave it in darkness!
Case in point, just look at the family-oriented commercial they had Jon Jones star in; it wasn’t anything like a typical blood & guts MMA commercial might be like. There were no highlight reels of devastating knockouts and torqued limbs, just Jones being a family man.
But that image is now tarnished, possibly forever.
The news of Jones’ unfortunately timed mistake (FOX ratings are dismal, Anheuser-Busch has taken the UFC to task over fighter behavior) has spread like wildfire. He’s trending on Twitter; every corner of the world now knows that a UFC champion has erred.
The UFC might not be able to market and hype their way out of this one.
It was one thing when the notorious loose-cannon Quinton “Rampage” Jackson lived up to his namesake because, after all, he wasn’t the face of the company, the UFC didn’t sponsor him and ad campaigns weren’t centered around him (although Rampage’s stunt was still deplorable).
This is much worse—the face of the company was arrested for DUI during a hailstorm of criticism over ratings, PPV buys, and fighter behavior!
The UFC and Jones can’t escape this without taking a substantial image hit, and the companies growth might be impacted as a result. How can they get a blue-chip sponsor in the light of this news?
Their knight in shining armor, their hero, their future Georges St.Pierre/Anderson Silva rolled into one has fallen from Olympus and their backup plan, Rory MacDonald, isn’t ready to take the role of “face of the company” just yet.
The fans will now seek to bury Jones amidst a storm of stereotypes and criticism. The UFC will try their best to implement damage control but it might be too late; Jones’ image might be tainted amongst casual fans and the non-fan who only reads about the UFC when it somehow makes headlines in the regular media.
Perhaps, if the MMA world is lucky, the fans and critics alike will take the reasonable and kind stance taken by MMAjunkie contributor and surgeon Dr. Johnny Benjamin, who tweeted the following:
Keep your head up @jonnybones! You’re a young man & we all made mistakes as young men. Be thankful no one was hurt! Please learn from this!
— Dr. Johnny Benjamin (@DrJCBenjamin) May 19, 2012
A truer tweet was not written on the issue. Jones should keep his head up—he’s a talented world champion and a gifted athlete—and indeed young men tend to make mistakes. Let us just find a way to forgive Jones for his transgression, and hope that others do the same.
The Press Release from Malki Kawa was obtained first hand.
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