Miesha Tate and Jon Jones rose to prominence at around the same in the UFC, especially after Tate joined the promotion following the merge with Strikeforce. The two have crossed paths numerous times over the years and have had a friendly relationship, but Tate isn’t happy with Jones’ latest transgressions and recent domestic violence charges.
Tate has returned to the spotlight after returning to the UFC earlier this year, defeating Marion Reneau in her first fight since unretiring. Jones has been sidelined from competition for nearly two years as he continues to negotiate with the UFC brass for his heavyweight debut.
Jones was arrested in Las Vegas, NV not even two weeks ago on charges of battery domestic violence against his fiancee, Jessie Moses. He also damaged a patrol vehicle as officers apprehended him away from the Caesars Palace Resort and Casino.
During a recent interview with MMA Mania, Tate had a lot to say about Jones’ repeated offenses and legal issues outside of the octagon.
“It is so disheartening,” Tate said. “We can give him all the compliments for his accolades and he deserves that, but there are just a lot of unforgivable things that he’s done throughout the history of his career. At least in the limelight that we know of. To just be a fan of him as a fighter and not recognize the other things he does as a human being that kind of tarnish that.”
“Who should be in charge of Jon Jones? Jon Jones should be in charge of Jon Jones. There’s nobody else that we should be looking at. He’s a grown-ass man. He’s a grown-ass man and he needs to be responsible.”
Jones has a court date scheduled for later this month in Las Vegas in which the MMA community will find out what could be next for the former UFC light heavyweight champion. UFC president Dana White, and others in the UFC brass, are clearly unhappy about the situation and their next steps remain unclear.
Tate has also been an advocate for victims of domestic violence and abuse and clearly feels Jones needs to completely turn things around on a personal level.
What are your thoughts on Miesha Tate’s comments regarding Jon Jones?