Did UFC superstar Jon Jones plead guilty to a felony charge?
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is arguably the greatest mixed martial artist ever to set foot inside the octagon. But the shenanigans and run-ins with the law have been a constant in Jones' personal and life. Jon jones pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run incident in 2015 but managed to avoid a jail term.
Ahead of the ninth defense of his title against Anthony Johnson, Jon Jones was arrested for his involvement in a hit-and-run case on April 27, 2015. On the night of April 26, the UFC champ had jumped the signal and rammed his rented SUV into a car being driven by a pregnant woman.
The impact broke the woman's arm, but she did not suffer any long-term damage. Jon Jones fled the scene without checking on the passengers in the other vehicle. Onlookers later told police that Jones returned after a while, only to grab the cash he had left inside his vehicle.
Jon Jones pleaded guilty to the charge of fleeing the crime scene and was given an 18-month long supervised probation on September 29, 2015. The court also ordered Jones to do 72 appearances of community service in which he was required to interact with children. However, Jones was not convicted of a felony as he complied with court orders as directed.
2015 was probably the worst year of Jon Jones's life. Following his win over Daniel Cormier in January 2015, it was revealed that Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites in the pre-fight drug test. The test result became a major topic of discussion. The UFC issued a $25000 fine to Jon Jones for the positive test result and sent him to a rehabilitation facility for a day.
Following his arrest in the hit-and-run case, the UFC immediately stripped Jon Jones of his title and suspended him indefinitely.
Jon Jones was arrested two more times for DWI (driving while intoxicated). In 2012, Jones rammed his vehicle into a tree in New York but did not receive any jail time. The 33-year-old was arrested for the second time in 2020 but agreed to a plea deal to avoid jail time.
Jon Jones might not fight in the UFC anytime soon
Jon Jones returned to competition in December 2018 after many controversies and suspensions to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title. After defending his top spot three times, Jones vacated the title to move up to heavyweight. His last fight was a controversial victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020, a few months before relinquishing the title.
Jones was expected to fight the heavyweight champion in the summer of 2021. However, the dispute over fighter pay has severely affected the relationship between the UFC and Jon Jones. The public feud has resulted in the UFC moving on from the idea of Jon Jones fighting heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Instead of Jon Jones, number two-ranked heavyweight Derrick Lewis will fight Ngannou later this year.
In a recent tweet, Jon Jones announced that he would wait another year to make a comeback, presumably hoping to strike a better financial deal with the UFC. 'Bones' will most likely make his comeback at heavyweight.
Will Jon Jones be able to make a triumphant return after a two-year layoff in a completely new division? Sound off in the comments.
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