Jon Jones reacts to being temporarily suspended from the gym by Mike Winkeljohn
Jon Jones' coach is holding him accountable for his actions. In the wake of his most recent arrest, coach Mike Winkeljohn, co-founder of the famed Jackson Wink MMA gym in Albuquerque, announced that he is temporarily banning his star student from the facility's premises.
The disgraced former UFC champion was evidently "hurt" by his trainer's decision as he felt like he was being abandoned. Jones took to Twitter after the announcement and wrote:
"Had a heartbreaking conversation over the phone with one of my longtime coaches last night, really hurts to lose the support of someone I respect so much. Sincere thank you to the rest of the coaches for staying in the fight with me. Our journey continues."
Winkeljohn's decision was a direct reaction to Jones' recent run-in with the law. Appearing on the latest episode of The MMA Hour, Winkeljohn spoke about the decision to suspend Jones. He said:
"This is a tough one. There's definitely no doubt about it. It's one of the toughest ones. It broke my heart that I was even put in that position where I felt I had to do it. But it's OK. It's OK. What's important to me might not be what's important to others. I will stick by my guns and stay true to the guy that I want to be."
The UFC superstar was arrested last month in Las Vegas on charges of domestic violence and tampering with a vehicle. Police reports made public by MMA Fighting indicated that Jones physically assaulted his fiancée Jessie Moses in front of their kids.
Jones, of course, was in Las Vegas for the UFC's annual Hall-of-Fame ceremony. He was one of the awardees after his 2013 title fight with Alexander Gustafsson was inducted into the HOF.
Watch coach Mike Winkeljohn speak about Jon Jones' suspension:
Curtis Blaydes: 'Jon Jones has a 50/50 chance of getting released'
Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes recently claimed there's a real possibility that the UFC will release Jon Jones. Speaking to MMA News' James Lynch, the No.4-ranked heavyweight said there's a 50/50 chance of Jones getting cut from the world's largest cage fighting promotion.
However, Blaydes' piece of insider information remains speculatory at this point. The UFC has yet to announce an official statement regarding Jones' status with the company.