Well, that seems like it went by fast. One day before the one-year anniversary of him being jailed for violating his probation, troubled former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones is now off probation and a free man. A Bernalillo County Dustrict Attorney’s Office in New Mexico told TMZ Sports that Jones has successfully
One day before the one-year anniversary of him being jailed for violating his probation, troubled former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones is now off probation and a free man.
A Bernalillo County Dustrict Attorney’s Office in New Mexico told TMZ Sports that Jones has successfully completed the sentence and is 100 percent “free and clear” as of today.
The MMA legend was sentenced to 18 months supervised probation after a bizarre hit-and-run accident that left a 25-year-old pregnant Albuquerque woman with a broken arm, after which Jones fled the scene of the crime only to return to grab drugs, paraphernalia, and a large handful of cash before fleeing once again.
Jones was then a wanted man for the next couple days before turning himself in, but his troubles unfortunately didn’t stop there. He was jailed for the aforementioned probation violation after he was ticketed for drag racing and other traffic violations in a controversial traffic stop with a police officer whom many declared was profiling Jones. However, he’s been cleared of the transgression and has apparently completed the terms of his probation that included 72 appearances to help children make good decisions.
“Bones’” awaited return to MMA came against Ovince St. Preux at last April’s UFC 197 after rival and current champion Daniel Cormier pulled out with an injury, but Jones was then forced from their rescheduled rematch at last July’s UFC 200 after failing an out-of-competition USADA drug test, and has been suspended ever since. Added to the hit-and-run and his failed pre-fight drug test for cocaine before his original bout versus Cormier at 2015’s UFC 182, and it’s been more than a rough few years for one of the UFC’s best competitors of all-time.
Today, the formerly dominant pound-for-pound king has cleared another hurdle towards returning to the UFC, but as we’ve seen in recent years, we can only believe that when the cage door closes.
Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones has faced some serious trials and tribulations over the past year. He was stripped of his title following an April 2015 hit-and-run that left a pregnant woman injured, and faced media backlash following a random 2014 drug test fail, the results of which weren’t made public until after his
Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones has faced some serious trials and tribulations over the past year. He was stripped of his title following an April 2015 hit-and-run that left a pregnant woman injured, and faced media backlash following a random 2014 drug test fail, the results of which weren’t made public until after his UFC 182 title defense against Daniel Cormier. A PR fuelled two-hour stay in rehab did little to help Jones’ reputation, and it truly laid in tatters once he got caught up in the following legal woes.
He ended up being served 18 months probation with a $5K fine, but there was a time that ‘Bones’ was facing a potential five year prison sentence. Now back on the trail to another big fight with his rival ‘DC,’ Jones now finds himself as the challenger. Cormier defeated Anthony Johnson for the vacant title at UFC 187 last year, and after one defense against Alexander Gustafsson, the AKA wrestler was once again paired with the reinstated ‘Bones.’
But then the news broke that Jones had potentially violated his probation, after being caught breaking the speed limit and not having his driving license present. At first it was reported that he was driving without a license, but that was later shot down by the official police reports. Still, Jones would receive a far more harsh penalty than his original sentence if he was judged to be breaking the terms of his probation.
The official ruling is now in, as first reported by FOX Sports:
New Mexico authorities opted not to treat the altercation as a probation violation so Jones only had to face the citation for driving without a license, insurance or registration.
Once he provided that documentation to the court, Jones agreed to donate $100 to the New Mexico Animal Humane Society and he’ll face no further action so long as he stays out of trouble for the next 90 days.
With Jones and Cormier on a collision course for UFC 197 on April 23, it’s good to know that the ex-champ won’t be facing any more legal troubles for now. That’s obviously dependant on him staying on the straight and narrow, but surely he won’t mess up again….
Is it an act, or is Jon Jones truly a scumbag? It’s a question that’s been asked may times in the past, but in typical Jon Jones form, there’s been a ton of controversial incidents since the last time we spoke about this. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion is truly the most dominant in the
It’s a question that’s been asked may times in the past, but in typical Jon Jones form, there’s been a ton of controversial incidents since the last time we spoke about this. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion is truly the most dominant in the division’s history, but has proved to be a frustrating and contrasting figure outside of the octagon. For all the natural gifts and abilities that ‘Bones’ displays in the arena of combat, there’s almost an equal amount of negative attention being shed on Jones on a daily basis.
So let’s first take a look at Jon Jones’ record in the UFC, it reads like a hit list of who’s who in the 205-pound division. Mostly former or future champions, but also the elite contenders in the light-heavyweight division, aside from Anthony Johnson. Here’s Jones’ 16-fight UFC record.
Jan 3, 2015 UFC 182: Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
Win Decision – Unanimous 55:00
Apr 26, 2014 UFC 172: Jones vs. Glover Teixeira
Win Decision – Unanimous
Sep 21, 2013UFC 165: Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Win Decision – Unanimous
Apr 27, 2013 UFC 159: Jones vs. Chael Sonnen
Win KO/TKO
Sep 22, 2012 UFC 152: Jones vs. Vitor Belfort
WinSubmission (Keylock)
Apr 21, 2012 UFC 145: Jones vs. Rashad Evans
Win Decision – Unanimous
Dec 10, 2011 UFC 140: Jones vs. Lyoto Machida
Win Submission (Guillotine Choke)
Sep 24, 2011 UFC 135: Jones vs. Quinton Jackson
Win Submission (rear naked choke)
Mar 19, 2011 UFC 128: Shogun Rua vs. Jones
Win KO/TKO
Feb 5, 2011 UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort
Ryan Bader-Win Submission (Guillotine Choke)
Aug 1, 2010 UFC on Versus 2: Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
WinKO/TKO
Mar 21, 2010 UFC on Versus 1: Brandon Vera vs. Jones
Win KO/TKO
Dec 5, 2009 The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale
Matt Hamill Loss DQ
Jul 11, 2009 UFC 100: Lesnar vs. Mir 2
Jake O’Brien Win Submission (Guillotine Choke)
Jan 31, 2009 UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2
Stephan Bonnar Win Decision – Unanimous
Aug 9, 2008 UFC 87: Seek and Destroy
Andre Gusmao Win Decision – Unanimous
Clearly you can’t deny Jon Jones’ legacy in the UFC light-heavyweight division, but should he beat Daniel Cormier in the rematch at UFC 197, ‘Bones’ will likely once again lead the pound-for-pound pack without dispute, and also go down as possibly the greatest fighter ever, period.
But what of his antics outside the octagon, and run-ins with the law?
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Jon Jones’ legacy is by no means tarnished by his behaviours, but it would be foolish to think that a repeat offense such as his hit-and-run controversy in 2015 couldn’t end his MMA career for good. He was lucky not to get permanently exiled from the world of combat sports when he trashed his rental car and left a pregnant woman with a broken arm, but are his frequent and well publicized troubles just part and parcel of being a young superstar? Well yes, to an extent.
The thing with Jones is he is a massive heel, it’s how he sells fights, and this leads to a lot of debate about his true character. Whether these questions are ‘fair’ is one thing, but all you need to do is look back through history at young stars that burn out and fall off to realise why it’s important for Jones to stay on the straight and narrow. At the minimum, his health could be at risk if he goes back to his powder/leaf partaking ways.
So that brings us to the next part of the debate, Jones’ failed drug test for cocaine, and also his admitted Marijuana addiction that threatened to consume his very being. A young guy like ‘Bones’ with suh a hectic lifestyle is bound to come across temptation, it simply comes with the territory. The difference between Jones and pretty much everyone else his age? The fact he could get seriously hurt if he messes up inside the UFC octagon. Further to that, he could literally ruin every ounce of potential he was thrust in to this world with.
Of course the New Mexico hit-and-run wasn’t the first snafu that Jones got in to while driving a car, as he’d previously written off his first Bentley in a similar situation, allegedly with some ladies of the night in tow. But who are we kidding, how many of us didn’t make mistakes in our twenties? Let’s not pretend our sh*t doesn’t stink here.
But of course Jones is in the public eye, a place he put himself, and that role model persona he is trying to impart on kids is seriously smeared if he keeps going back to the life of a carefree scumbag.
So, to the final part of this Jones opinion piece, the impact of Jones’ heel role on his image outside of fighting.
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Is it fair to say Jones acts like an idiot on social media? Yes, but he’s promoting ticket sales. Could he get as much reach if he was just constantly the good guy? Probably not, but that’s by-the-by. The truth here is that as long as Jones doesn’t care what people think of him, then how he acts on social media and at press conferences etc. doesn’t really matter. But, and to quote the title of this article, is Jon Jones actually a scumbag, and the biggest in MMA history?
Well, if he is, that may not mater either. Yes, he could go through life pissing people off with his attitude, but as long as he’s on the straight and narrow, and off the weed and coke, then who gives a damn? If he can train, live healthy, and stay on the right side of the law, then what the heck is everybody whining about?
Of course there’s the other side of the argument, that ‘Bones’ is slowly falling in to the image he is portraying, and it’s actually playing a role in his trials and tribulations in ‘real’ life. Could he be suffering from the syndrome many method actors get, as in the character is beginning to take over?
In summary, and in my personal experience, a person’s true colors will always shine through. Will Jon Jones’ attitude or maybe just his portrayed character lead him once again astray? Let’s hope not, but one thing is for sure; one day it may lead Jones to the label of biggest scumbag in MMA, but even that isn’t such a bad thing when you consider he could be serving five years in prison right now. Let’s just hope those two ends don’t meet in the future.
As everyone reading this already knows by now, the UFC Light Heavyweight championship has been vacated due to a recent hit and run incident involving Jon Jones that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm and other injuries. The news comes as…well, not very shocking to anyone that has been paying attention to the behavior of the former champion and it seems that his history of bad behavior has finally caught up to him as the UFC has stripped him of his title, removed him from their rankings and have “indefinitely suspended” him from competition.
Today we’re going to take a look at the effects that this incident has had in a fun segment that I’m stealing from former CP alumni: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
As everyone reading this already knows by now, the UFC Light Heavyweight championship has been vacated due to a recent hit and run incident involving Jon Jones that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm and other injuries. The news comes as…well, not very shocking to anyone that has been paying attention to the behavior of the former champion and it seems that his history of bad behavior has finally caught up to him as the UFC has stripped him of his title, removed him from their rankings and have “indefinitely suspended” him from competition.
Today we’re going to take a look at the effects that this incident has had in a fun segment that I’m stealing from former CP alumni: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good
-UFC makes the right decision by vacating the title and suspending Jones
My first reaction upon hearing the news of Jones’ involvement in a hit-and-run accident was “Hmm…I wonder how Dana White is going to justify keeping him in the main event of UFC 187.” To my surprise, White announced last Tuesday that the UFC would be stripping him of the title and released the following statement:
UFC feels strongly that its athletes must uphold certain standards both in and out of The Octagon®. While there is disappointment in the recent charges, the organization remains supportive of Jones as he works through the legal process.
It was certainly refreshing to see the UFC take the right course of action after recent incidents like the Anderson Silva drug test debacle or the attempted rehiring of Thiago Silva. Let’s hope that the UFC continues on its course of taking the high road should…ok let’s be as real as it gets, *when* another fighter does something terribly stupid down the road.
-The LHW Title Picture becomes much more interesting
Although it may not have happened the way we wanted to (which I’ll be getting to later), the removal of the dominant champion opens up the opportunity for the other fighters in the division to get a taste of championship gold. Much like with the aforementioned Silva, there weren’t many contenders for the belt that could offer much of a challenge to Jon Jones. Should he have gone on to UFC 187 and defeated Anthony Johnson, there wouldn’t have been anyone else waiting in the wings outside of a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson, who came close to defeating the champion but then suffered a devastating KO loss to the current number one contender, leaving him to contemplate retirement. Gustafsson has since backpedaled on his retirement statement but one has to wonder the blow dealt to his confidence after the loss.
With Cormier replacing Jones in the title fight at UFC 187, which I can only imagine is leaving a much deserved sour taste in Bones’ mouth, we are now guaranteed to see a new champion emerge be it DC or Rumble. Regardless of who wins, it opens up a slew of new title matches to be booked while the slow build for a possible return and match up of the disgraced former champion. Hopefully, the UFC can use this angle to attract fans into spending their money on upcoming PPV events.
The Bad
-An anticlimactic end to a dominant title run
One of the greatest parts of any long win streak is basking in the joy of watching someone end it. I’m sure more than a handful of people reading this article can remember exactly where they were when Anderson Silva’s six year title run came to a halt at the hands of Chris Weidman or when current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum snapped Fedor’s nine year undefeated streak via triangle choke. As awesome as it is to see someone display complete and total domination at their game, it’s even more exciting when you’re there to see it come to an end and this is a moment that we as fans have been robbed of. For years, we’ve waited to see who would be the first to end Jones’ momentous undefeated streak (no, that horseshit DQ doesn’t count) but now that’s all come to an end thanks to a terribly stupid decision.
Rumors are swirling about whether or not Jones will retire after all of this, but if he return to action one day and pick up where he left off, whatever absence he takes from the cage will always serve to mark his streak with an asterisk.
-The UFC loses one of its few remaining draws
With Jones suspended, this leaves Ronda Rousey, and to a lesser degree, Conor McGregor as the only real draws left on its roster and they can only fight so many times a year. This doesn’t discount the amount of talent in the UFC as there are many interesting matchups to be had among the different divisions but talent doesn’t necessarily add up to PPV buys (See: Demetrious Johnson, Renan Barao, Benson Henderson). By taking Jones away from its already diminished pool of fighters with drawing power, the UFC is going to have to scramble to start making new stars for the future, although exactly how they can pull that off remains to be seen (medieval weapon fighting, perhaps?)
The Ugly
-A legacy tarnished
Regardless of what your personal opinion is of Jon Jones, there is no question that as a fighter, Bones was building one hell of a legacy as a MMA fighter. He had already built an eight year undefeated streak, become the youngest UFC champion in history and defended that title eight times consecutively. Now he’s added another historical fact to his resume by becoming the first UFC Champion to be stripped of his title as a disciplinary measure.
While the recent events will not diminish the accomplishments already made by Jones, they most certainly slam the brakes on the legacy that he was building and no matter what happens from this point on, his bad behavior, and most specifically this hit and run incident will most certainly become a talking point anytime anyone ever brings up Bones in a conversation of great MMA fighters, much like Tyson’s rape conviction will always overshadow all of the amazing feats he accomplished prior.
While Jones will certainly be a name mentioned as one of the greatest fighters in MMA’s ever growing history, what could have been the story of the greatest fighter in MMA will now be tarnished and told as a fighter with limitless potential that screwed it all up with a series of bad decisions. It’s a sad way for the Bones saga to end and hopefully he will use this to improve himself and become a better human being.
As everyone reading this already knows by now, the UFC Light Heavyweight championship has been vacated due to a recent hit and run incident involving Jon Jones that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm and other injuries. The news comes as…well, not very shocking to anyone that has been paying attention to the behavior of the former champion and it seems that his history of bad behavior has finally caught up to him as the UFC has stripped him of his title, removed him from their rankings and have “indefinitely suspended” him from competition.
Today we’re going to take a look at the effects that this incident has had in a fun segment that I’m stealing from former CP alumni: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
As everyone reading this already knows by now, the UFC Light Heavyweight championship has been vacated due to a recent hit and run incident involving Jon Jones that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm and other injuries. The news comes as…well, not very shocking to anyone that has been paying attention to the behavior of the former champion and it seems that his history of bad behavior has finally caught up to him as the UFC has stripped him of his title, removed him from their rankings and have “indefinitely suspended” him from competition.
Today we’re going to take a look at the effects that this incident has had in a fun segment that I’m stealing from former CP alumni: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good
-UFC makes the right decision by vacating the title and suspending Jones
My first reaction upon hearing the news of Jones’ involvement in a hit-and-run accident was “Hmm…I wonder how Dana White is going to justify keeping him in the main event of UFC 187.” To my surprise, White announced last Tuesday that the UFC would be stripping him of the title and released the following statement:
UFC feels strongly that its athletes must uphold certain standards both in and out of The Octagon®. While there is disappointment in the recent charges, the organization remains supportive of Jones as he works through the legal process.
It was certainly refreshing to see the UFC take the right course of action after recent incidents like the Anderson Silva drug test debacle or the attempted rehiring of Thiago Silva. Let’s hope that the UFC continues on its course of taking the high road should…ok let’s be as real as it gets, *when* another fighter does something terribly stupid down the road.
-The LHW Title Picture becomes much more interesting
Although it may not have happened the way we wanted to (which I’ll be getting to later), the removal of the dominant champion opens up the opportunity for the other fighters in the division to get a taste of championship gold. Much like with the aforementioned Silva, there weren’t many contenders for the belt that could offer much of a challenge to Jon Jones. Should he have gone on to UFC 187 and defeated Anthony Johnson, there wouldn’t have been anyone else waiting in the wings outside of a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson, who came close to defeating the champion but then suffered a devastating KO loss to the current number one contender, leaving him to contemplate retirement. Gustafsson has since backpedaled on his retirement statement but one has to wonder the blow dealt to his confidence after the loss.
With Cormier replacing Jones in the title fight at UFC 187, which I can only imagine is leaving a much deserved sour taste in Bones’ mouth, we are now guaranteed to see a new champion emerge be it DC or Rumble. Regardless of who wins, it opens up a slew of new title matches to be booked while the slow build for a possible return and match up of the disgraced former champion. Hopefully, the UFC can use this angle to attract fans into spending their money on upcoming PPV events.
The Bad
-An anticlimactic end to a dominant title run
One of the greatest parts of any long win streak is basking in the joy of watching someone end it. I’m sure more than a handful of people reading this article can remember exactly where they were when Anderson Silva’s six year title run came to a halt at the hands of Chris Weidman or when current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum snapped Fedor’s nine year undefeated streak via triangle choke. As awesome as it is to see someone display complete and total domination at their game, it’s even more exciting when you’re there to see it come to an end and this is a moment that we as fans have been robbed of. For years, we’ve waited to see who would be the first to end Jones’ momentous undefeated streak (no, that horseshit DQ doesn’t count) but now that’s all come to an end thanks to a terribly stupid decision.
Rumors are swirling about whether or not Jones will retire after all of this, but if he return to action one day and pick up where he left off, whatever absence he takes from the cage will always serve to mark his streak with an asterisk.
-The UFC loses one of its few remaining draws
With Jones suspended, this leaves Ronda Rousey, and to a lesser degree, Conor McGregor as the only real draws left on its roster and they can only fight so many times a year. This doesn’t discount the amount of talent in the UFC as there are many interesting matchups to be had among the different divisions but talent doesn’t necessarily add up to PPV buys (See: Demetrious Johnson, Renan Barao, Benson Henderson). By taking Jones away from its already diminished pool of fighters with drawing power, the UFC is going to have to scramble to start making new stars for the future, although exactly how they can pull that off remains to be seen (medieval weapon fighting, perhaps?)
The Ugly
-A legacy tarnished
Regardless of what your personal opinion is of Jon Jones, there is no question that as a fighter, Bones was building one hell of a legacy as a MMA fighter. He had already built an eight year undefeated streak, become the youngest UFC champion in history and defended that title eight times consecutively. Now he’s added another historical fact to his resume by becoming the first UFC Champion to be stripped of his title as a disciplinary measure.
While the recent events will not diminish the accomplishments already made by Jones, they most certainly slam the brakes on the legacy that he was building and no matter what happens from this point on, his bad behavior, and most specifically this hit and run incident will most certainly become a talking point anytime anyone ever brings up Bones in a conversation of great MMA fighters, much like Tyson’s rape conviction will always overshadow all of the amazing feats he accomplished prior.
While Jones will certainly be a name mentioned as one of the greatest fighters in MMA’s ever growing history, what could have been the story of the greatest fighter in MMA will now be tarnished and told as a fighter with limitless potential that screwed it all up with a series of bad decisions. It’s a sad way for the Bones saga to end and hopefully he will use this to improve himself and become a better human being.
It may have taken him close to 24 hours to do so, but Jon Jones has finally turned himself in to Albuquerque police following his hit-and-run accident over the weekend. Now, he faces a completely different backlash, with fans, fighters, and media members alike calling for him to be pulled from UFC 187 and stripped of his title.
It may have taken him close to 24 hours to do so, but Jon Jones has finally turned himself in to Albuquerque police following his hit-and-run accident over the weekend. Now, he faces a completely different backlash, with fans, fighters, and media members alike calling for him to be pulled from UFC 187 and stripped of his title.
Details after the jump.
Late last night, it was confirmed by multiple outlets that Jones had officially been placed in custody following a bizarre series of events that resulted in local police issuing a felony warrant for his arrest. “Bones” was arrested for “felony leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injuries” and was booked at 7:11 p.m Monday evening. Shortly thereafter, however, Jones posted the $2,500 bail necessary and was released (probably why he went back to the scene to grab cash). Local affiliate KOAT was able to secure some footage of Jones leaving jail, but the champ refused to comment on his situation.
The UFC has yet to make an official statement on the situation beyond the one they initially made, but perhaps the most bizarre aspect of this story is that Jones has still yet to be removed from his UFC 187 title fight with Anthony Johnson. According to Jones’ attorney, Vincent Ward, ”[Jon] wants to get down to training for this fight he has. He wouldn’t want to be dealing with this right now, but he’s a great guy, he’s taking all this seriously.”
Yes, Vincent. He doesn’t want to be dealing with the HIT AND RUN INVOLVING A PREGNANT WOMAN HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR right now, but he’s willing to put off training for a couple days to because he’s a five star guy all around. (*slams head off desk*)
Meanwhile, fans and media members alike are calling for Jones to not only be removed from UFC 187, but stripped of his title. The most vocal of those detractors was none other than former UFC fighter-turned-commentator Kenny Florian on last night’s edition of America’s Pregame:
I think stripping him of the title is appropriate. Of course, if these allegations are true. I think cutting him may be a little bit harsh. I would be for stripping him of the title and getting him to realize that there are repercussions. If you screw up, there are repercussions and a possible fine. He was supposed to face Anthony Johnson, and I think that is the other repercussion; I don’t think he should — if this is true — I don’t think he should be allowed to fight Anthony Johnson. He needs to go and get help. I think UFC is probably, more likely, looking to find a replacement for Jon Jones at this point. I think that is going to happen if these allegations are true.
Even noted UFC shill Kevin Iole has called for Jones to be stripped, stating, “It would be a symbolic gesture to strip him, but an important measure of symbolism. The UFC will be saying that it meant it when it instituted a Fighter Code of Conduct, and that it’s not going to let Jones slide because he’s a great fighter and a big moneymaker.”
Word has it that Lorenzo Fertitta is currently flying out to New Mexico to personally meet with Jones. We will continue to update this post as information is made available.
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