- UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been in hot water with the law numerous times in his career.
- This time, Jones is charged with two misdemeanors stemming from an incident with a drug-testing agent.
- Jones is slated to fight in 2024 as he returns to the octagon after various injuries.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is unquestionably one of the best mixed martial artists of all time. Many, including UFC president Dana White, think Jones is the greatest of all time.
However, White knows better than anyone that Jones is a troubled individual. He has had many run-ins with the law throughout his career and he’s in a tough spot again. The MMA star was charged with two misdemeanors.
His latest incident allegedly happened on March 30, 2024, according to an MMA Fighting report. Jones has been charged with two misdemeanors stemming from a dispute with a drug-testing agent.
Jones Allegedly Accused of Assault, Interference of Communications
On March 30, an agent named Crystal Martinez showed up at Jones’ house in New Mexico and asked him to provide a sample, on behalf of Drug Free Sport. This group replaced the US Anti-Doping Agency to help the UFC keep their sport clean. Martinez claims that Jones was “agitated”, and while he couldn’t produce a urine sample, they gave him the option to provide a sample of his blood.
Jones then allegedly told Martinez and her partner that he was going to sue them for showing up, and then he reportedly grabbed Martinez’s phone and started to record them. Martinez felt threatened and claims she “was afraid Jones would hit her”.
Jones released a statement in April:
“I was recently visited by testers while I was celebrating a birthday and taking a nap. 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.”
A hearing is set for July 17, so Jones can enter his plea on charges of assault, and interference of communication. Then, there will be a trial 30 to 45 days following that.
However, this is just the latest in a list of issues for Jones. He has a DWI (driving while under the influence) conviction from 2012. He was also convicted in 2015 of a hit-and-run, which left a pregnant woman injured.
In 2021, Jones was charged with domestic battery, which was dropped, but he was convicted of felony tampering with a police vehicle after he headbutted a car. That’s only part of the long list of Jones’ legal troubles.
Will This Affect Jones’ Ability to Fight in 2024?
This recent incident could throw a wrench into the UFC’s plans to have Jones fight in 2024. If “Bones” is convicted, he could face less than a year of jail time, and up to $1,500 in fines.
If Jones can avoid jail, he should still be in line to defend his title this year. He is slated to fight former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
There is nothing official yet, but it’s been slated for November at Madison Square Garden in New York. The two were supposed to meet in November 2023, but Jones suffered a pectoral injury that sidelined him for eight months. That fight is going to do massive numbers at UFC betting sites.
However, Jones has to stay out of trouble between now and November for that fight to happen. That is a major ask of a fighter, who is constantly involved in problems with the law.
