Jones’ latest legal drama is not expected to interfere with his (eventual) return to the Octagon in November … unless things take a dramatic turn at his upcoming bench trial.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday, appearing virtually for Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court (alongside attorney Christopher Dodd) to answer for a pair of misdemeanor charges filed against him back in March.
“Bones” was released on his own recognizance and will return for a bench trial within the next two months, according to MMA Fighting.
That said, the judge did not let Jones go scot-free, handing down a laundry list of pre-trial conditions including a ban on firearms (or other dangerous weapons) as well as restrictions on drug and alcohol use.
Jones routinely posts videos of his gun collection and has previously admitted to drug and alcohol abuse. There was also that stint in rehab that didn’t stop the former light heavyweight kingpin from getting “black-out drunk” before fights.
Today’s court appearance was the result of Jones’ altercation with drug-testing agents earlier this year, though “Bones” insists the incident was blown way out of proportion and that police reports reflect a situation that “simply did not occur.”
We’ll see if the judge agrees when Jones returns to court.