Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Tito Ortiz was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence after a single-car collision in West Los Angeles, the California Highway Patrol said in a press release.
The popular athlete, whose birth name is Jacob Christopher Ortiz, was taken into custody around 4:00 a.m. after his car crashed on the 405 Freeway near Sepulveda and Santa Monica boulevards, the CHP said.
“Ortiz was driving northbound on the I-405 when he lost control of his vehicle and struck the concrete center median,” the press release said.
Ortiz, 38, was driving a 2012 Porsche Panamera and had two passengers in the car, according to the CHP. The vehicle was moderately damaged and no one was injured, the CHP said.
(Sorry, Tito. Not every vehicular experience can be this positive. / Photo via Getty)
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Tito Ortiz was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence after a single-car collision in West Los Angeles, the California Highway Patrol said in a press release.
The popular athlete, whose birth name is Jacob Christopher Ortiz, was taken into custody around 4:00 a.m. after his car crashed on the 405 Freeway near Sepulveda and Santa Monica boulevards, the CHP said.
“Ortiz was driving northbound on the I-405 when he lost control of his vehicle and struck the concrete center median,” the press release said.
Ortiz, 38, was driving a 2012 Porsche Panamera and had two passengers in the car, according to the CHP. The vehicle was moderately damaged and no one was injured, the CHP said.
Officers took Ortiz into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI. “He was transported to LAPD-77th Division for medical clearance and chemical testing and was booked without incident,” the CHP said.
“On This Day in MMA History” pays tribute to some of the more bizarre and infamous news stories of MMA’s past. The following article was originally published on May 19th, 2012, one year ago today. Note: We’ve placed a few more notable anniversaries at the end of this post.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Jones was involved in an accident at around 5:00 AM in Binghamton, NY. We’re told the car — which Jones crashed into a pole — was totaled and cops arrested Jones on the scene for DUI.
According to our sources, Jones was taken into custody by Broome County Sheriff and bailed out a few hours later … by his mom. Jones is from nearby Ithaca.
Fortunately for Jones, it appears that he only suffered minor injuries, and it does not appear that anyone else was injured from this accident. It is unclear whether or not there were any passengers in the car at the time of the accident.
As of this writing, Dana White’s only response to the incident has been a text to TMZ, saying “Wow, i guess its not my week is it?”. Given the week he’s had, that may be putting itmildly. Neither Jones nor his teammates will be commenting on the arrest at this time.
“On This Day in MMA History” pays tribute to some of the more bizarre and infamous news stories of MMA’s past. The following article was originally published on May 19th, 2012, one year ago today. Note: We’ve placed a few more notable anniversaries at the end of this post.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Jones was involved in an accident at around 5:00 AM in Binghamton, NY. We’re told the car — which Jones crashed into a pole — was totaled and cops arrested Jones on the scene for DUI.
According to our sources, Jones was taken into custody by Broome County Sheriff and bailed out a few hours later … by his mom. Jones is from nearby Ithaca.
Fortunately for Jones, it appears that he only suffered minor injuries, and it does not appear that anyone else was injured from this accident. It is unclear whether or not there were any passengers in the car at the time of the accident.
As of this writing, Dana White’s only response to the incident has been a text to TMZ, saying “Wow, i guess its not my week is it?”. Given the week he’s had, that may be putting itmildly. Neither Jones nor his teammates will be commenting on the arrest at this time.
In and of itself, the incident isn’t too surprising: Jon Jones is a young, talented and seemingly invincible athlete. Like many other athletes in his position, Jones decided to get behind the wheel after clearly drinking too much. Or for that matter, like many of those reading this article, myself included, at one point or another. I’m not saying that drunk driving isn’t a reckless, stupid thing to do, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the media be harsher on Jon Jones than they would on, say, Braylon Edwards.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops. Jon Jones is the face of the UFC — and in many ways, mixed martial arts. How will the mainstream media cover this incident? How will Jones be disciplined for this? Will any of his sponsors bail on him? And how will this story be treated in the state of New York, which recently made viewing child porn legal while deeming that MMA should remain illegal? We’ll keep you up to date as more details become available.
Update: A statement from First Round Management has been forwarded to Cagepotato.com:
Note: There will be no interviews granted at this time from Jon Jones, or any of his representatives
“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.”
And finally, happy birthday to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who turns 32 today. Wait a minute…that’s how old I am. And I haven’t done shit with my life. Oh man. That’s a bummer.
(Step 1: Find a lawyer. Step 2: Explain that your ear didn’t look like that before the accident. Step 3: Collect large settlement. Step 4: Celebrate.)
If one more Brazilian UFC champion becomes involved in a car accident this month, we can officially start calling this a trend. Just a day after we reported that Jose Aldo was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro, MMA Convert passed along word that heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos was the victim of a hit-and-run while driving in Salvador, Brazil, last week. As JDS explained on his twitter (which was helpfully translated into Broken English by MMAConvert):
“The transit of Salvador giving this fear. They just hit my car and did not stop, continued to follow the path as if it were normal. Please let us be more aware and respect others. You win nothing with violence and disrespect. Crossing and follow in peace.”
Dos Santos escaped the incident without injury, and is still scheduled to defend his title against Cain Velasquez at UFC 155 on December 29th.
Speaking of dangerous drivers…
(Step 1: Find a lawyer. Step 2: Explain that your ear didn’t look like that before the accident. Step 3: Collect large settlement. Step 4: Celebrate.)
If one more Brazilian UFC champion becomes involved in a car accident this month, we can officially start calling this a trend. Just a day after we reported that Jose Aldo was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro, MMA Convert passed along word that heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos was the victim of a hit-and-run while driving in Salvador, Brazil, last week. As JDS explained on his twitter (which was helpfully translated into Broken English by MMAConvert):
“The transit of Salvador giving this fear. They just hit my car and did not stop, continued to follow the path as if it were normal. Please let us be more aware and respect others. You win nothing with violence and disrespect. Crossing and follow in peace.”
Dos Santos escaped the incident without injury, and is still scheduled to defend his title against Cain Velasquez at UFC 155 on December 29th.
Speaking of dangerous drivers…
UFC heavyweight gatekeeper Christian Morecraft — who is riding back-to-back knockout losses against Matt Mitrione and Pat Barry — has now joined the UFC’s exclusive club of drunk-drivers, which also includes Chris Leben, Josh Neer, Ross Pearson, and Jon Jones. Over the weekend, Morecraft was charged with operating under the influence, after he refused a breathalyzer test following a traffic stop. As CageJunkies explains:
The word “operating” is actually more encompassing (and more accurate) than “driving” because almost all states make it illegal to “operate or be in actual physical control” of a motor vehicle. This means that you can be sitting in your car, off the side of the road, with the engine running and the car in park, and asleep, yet still be charged with OUI. The states that have OUI as their acronym are Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Morecraft trains out of Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Following the arrest, Morecraft posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Aa good man is an honest man and i made a mistake, After a long work week and a good week of training I hit a speed bump, I beat myself I had a few beers and grabbed a bite to eat I got pulled over and asked to take a breathalyzer I refused so I was arrested and charged with an OUI ….I apologize to the community the UFC and CAPE COD INSULLATION my family friends.”
(Ten minutes later, Jones was responsible for the first pace car-led pileup in Nascar history.)
A congratulations is in order for the nominees of last week’s Comment of the Week contest, who really brought the funny when ripping on everything from debilitating diseases to spousal abuse. You sick sons a bitches truly make us proud.
That being said, there can only be one winner, and this week’s was decided by a margin of just 25 votes, so join us after the jump for the big reveal…
(Ten minutes later, Jones was responsible for the first pace car-led pileup in Nascar history.)
A congratulations is in order for the nominees of last week’s Comment of the Week contest, who really brought the funny when ripping on everything from debilitating diseases to spousal abuse. You sick sons a bitches truly make us proud.
That being said, there can only be one winner, and this week’s was decided by a margin of just 25 votes, so join us after the jump for the big reveal…
With 28.2 % of the vote, Landulf’s inspired vision of Jon Jones’ new Nike campaign walked away victorious, barely eeking out VivaHate’s Ortizian rant aimed at Hector Lombard.
In either case, Landulf, e-mail [email protected] with your real name, address, and shirt size, and we’ll get you hooked up ASAP. As for the rest of you nominees, keep your heads up. Maybe one day you’ll be funny enough to win a free t-shirt that was made by the tired, bleeding hands of 7 year-old Honduran children two years ago. Sure, one sleeve might be longer than the other, and some of them might say PageComato on the back, but what else can you expect? They’re illiterate for Christ’s sake.
(Sorry bro, that title doesn’t give you diplomatic immunity. / Photo via Cagewriter)
In a follow-up report about Jon Jones’s DUI arrest, WBNG Action News confirms that the UFC light-heavyweight champ had two women in his 2012 Bentley Continental GT when he had a run-in with a telephone pole in Binghamton, NY, on May 19th. Both were injured, and neither of them was his fiancée:
Cara Johnson, 25, was in the front passenger seat and Michele Vojtisek, 25, was sitting in the back passenger seat. When Jones crashed, air bags deployed. Vojtisek suffered bruising and cuts on the right side of her face, one above her eye and one below. Johnson got a nosebleed and complained of shoulder pain. She also had bruising from a seat belt. Both women were treated at Wilson Hospital.
Officers say Jones speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet, and it was evident he was intoxicated. Jones refused a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer. He pled guilty to DWI Tuesday in Binghamton City Court as part of a plea deal and will be back in court for sentencing on June 19.
(Sorry bro, that title doesn’t give you diplomatic immunity. / Photo via Cagewriter)
In a follow-up report about Jon Jones’s DUI arrest, WBNG Action News confirms that the UFC light-heavyweight champ had two women in his 2012 Bentley Continental GT when he had a run-in with a telephone pole in Binghamton, NY, on May 19th. Both were injured, and neither of them was his fiancée:
Cara Johnson, 25, was in the front passenger seat and Michele Vojtisek, 25, was sitting in the back passenger seat. When Jones crashed, air bags deployed. Vojtisek suffered bruising and cuts on the right side of her face, one above her eye and one below. Johnson got a nosebleed and complained of shoulder pain. She also had bruising from a seat belt. Both women were treated at Wilson Hospital.
Officers say Jones speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet, and it was evident he was intoxicated. Jones refused a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer. He pled guilty to DWI Tuesday in Binghamton City Court as part of a plea deal and will be back in court for sentencing on June 19.
Jones, who lives in Ithaca with his fiancée, Jessie Moses, and their two young daughters, Leah and Carmen, was also cited seven months earlier in Albuquerque, N.M. — where he trains for fights — for driving with a suspended license. That charge was dismissed in March for failure to prosecute. Jones’s New York license was active at the time of his May arrest.
Jones was also involved in documented multi-vehicle accidents in January 2011 in New Mexico and in New York in December 2008 and January 2009. Jones was not found at fault for any of the accidents, but was cited for “unsafe passing” in the January 2009 collision with his fiancée and newborn daughter in the car with him. None of the accidents involved alcohol consumption, according to the reports.
UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones took the first step towards getting this unfortunate drunk-driving business behind him by pleading guilty to his DWI charge in a Binghamton, NY, court this morning. WBNG Action News has the details:
Jones entered into a plea deal with the District Attorney’s office Tuesday in Binghamton City Court. Under the terms of the deal he pled guilty to Driving While Intoxicated. Two traffic violations, one for an improper turn and another for deviating from a direct course were dismissed. Jones’ Attorney told the judge the agreement for punishment is a fine and a conditional discharge.
UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones took the first step towards getting this unfortunate drunk-driving business behind him by pleading guilty to his DWI charge in a Binghamton, NY, court this morning. WBNG Action News has the details:
Jones entered into a plea deal with the District Attorney’s office Tuesday in Binghamton City Court. Under the terms of the deal he pled guilty to Driving While Intoxicated. Two traffic violations, one for an improper turn and another for deviating from a direct course were dismissed. Jones’ Attorney told the judge the agreement for punishment is a fine and a conditional discharge.
Police say Jones was behind the wheel of his 2012 Bentley which crashed into a telephone pole near the corner of Grand Boulevard and Helen Street on May 19, 2012. Jones’ license is now temporarily suspended. He will be back in court for sentencing on June 19, 2012. Jones must also complete an alcohol abuse and dependency assessment before sentencing.
Jones is still scheduled to defend his belt against Dan Henderson at UFC 151 (September 1st, Las Vegas). As long as he doesn’t royally shit the bed during that upcoming alcohol dependency assessment, it should be business as usual for Bones.
“On This Day in MMA History” pays tribute to some of the more bizarre and infamous news stories of MMA’s past. The following article was 
