Fact Check: Did Jon Jones get arrested? Debunking unfounded reports of the UFC heavyweight champ's incarceration
Jon Jones has found himself at the center of controversy once again. There have been reports circulating that the UFC heavyweight champion was arrested following allegations that he assaulted and threatened to kill a drug testing agent. While he has denied the allegations, it has not prevented rumors regarding his arrest from spreading.
NBC News was among those to share the reports, tweeting:
"UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is arrested based on allegations that he assaulted and threatened to kill a drug testing agent, police say."
'Bones' took to X to address the false allegations in a lengthy tweet, stating:
"Hello everyone, I wanted to address some misinformation that has been circulating this morning . I woke up to false reports that I had been arrested . I have not been arrested. In fact, I am currently in Texas with my daughters at a volleyball tournament. I must admit, it's disappointing to have to clarify these things again , but I understand that I may be an easy target given some of my past issues. it's important to set the record straight and make sure the truth is told . I was recently visited by testers while I was celebrating a birthday and taking a nap."
He continued:
"Upon waking up, I was caught off guard by the unprofessionalism and protocol by one of the testers which caused frustration leading me to use some profanity I regret. However, I want to emphasize that at no point did I threaten , get in anyone's face , raise my voice to anyone or engage in any form of assault. It's unfortunate that false news has been spread without proper fact-checking. I want to assure you that I will vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations. The truth is, the incident simply did not occur."
Check out Jon Jones' clarification tweet below:
While Jones has faced legal troubles in the past, he has not been arrested or charged with any crime as a result of this weekend's incident. The Albuquerque Police Department's Public Information Officer confirmed that the UFC heavyweight champion has not been arrested in an incident reported shared with Aaron Bronsteter of Sportsnet.
Georges St-Pierre labels Jon Jones as the mixed martial arts GOAT
Jon Jones is widely considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. Georges St-Pierre, who is also a popular choice for the title, revealed that 'Bones' is his pick for the sport's GOAT.
Speaking to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo on their Pound 4 Pound podcast, St-Pierre stated:
"I think it's hard to find someone better than Jon Jones, man. Jon Jones, he's so good. Jon Jones is extremely talented, but he's also extremely tough. People have no idea how tough he is, man... Most of the time when you have a guy that is very talented, it doesn't come with toughness. Jon Jones is the full package. He's got everything. Elite striker, elite grappler, he's good everywhere."
Check out Georges St-Pierre's full comments on the greatest of all time below:
St-Pierre is not the only all-time great to label Jones as the greatest fighter of all time. Demetrious Johnson recently tabbed the heavyweight champion as his pick for the GOAT, citing his ability to defeat opponents however he wanted. While there will always be disagreements among fans, it appears that those who are in the conversation for the title are seemingly in agreement that it belongs to 'Bones'.