Jon Jones, often hailed as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, an athlete whose career soared to incredible heights from his Albuquerque base, has officially stepped away from the UFC. The retirement news, announced by UFC President Dana White and later confirmed by Jones himself, sent shockwaves through the combat sports world this past Saturday.
However, the fanfare surrounding the departure of the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion was quickly overshadowed by the emergence of yet another legal issue for the controversial fighter. Just days before his retirement was made public, a new criminal charge was filed against Jones in Albuquerque.
New Criminal Charge Filed in Albuquerque
Court records reveal that a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident was filed against Jon Jones on Tuesday, June 17th, in Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque. While this charge was filed recently, it stems from an alleged incident that reportedly occurred significantly earlier, back in February.
According to details from a police report cited in court documents, the charge originates from an investigation into a traffic crash that took place on February 21st (though some reports mention February 24th, indicating a potential timeline discrepancy in initial documentation).
Details from the February Incident
Responding officers at the scene of the crash reportedly found a woman in the front passenger seat of one of the vehicles. She was described as exhibiting clear signs of significant intoxication and notably lacked clothing from the waist down. The woman allegedly told police that Jon Jones had been driving the vehicle involved in the accident and fled the scene on foot immediately afterward.
Further details from the police report paint a complex picture of the aftermath. The woman reportedly called Jones from the scene. When a police service aide spoke on the phone to the man believed to be Jones, he allegedly sounded heavily intoxicated. This individual reportedly made alarming statements, including “allusions to violence” and statements “implying his capacity to employ lethal force through third parties” against the service aide. Backup was requested due to the perceived threats. When a police officer subsequently spoke to the same man on the phone, similar aggressive remarks were reportedly made, though the individual did not directly confirm if he was Jon Jones.
Conflicting Accounts and Subsequent Contact
Police later interviewed Jon Jones in person several days after the crash. According to reports, Jones offered a different version of events, claiming the woman had left his residence intoxicated hours before the accident occurred. He stated that when she called him after the crash, the person she handed the phone to “immediately opened the conversations with unprofessional language,” leading him to question the legitimacy of the call and the individual on the other end.
The woman’s account to police varied significantly. She stated she arrived at Jones’ house late on the night of the 20th, expressed reservations about drinking with him citing alleged past incidents, but consumed alcohol and ingested psilocybin mushrooms there. She recalled needing to change her clothes at his residence, removing her pants before the accident, and her next memory was being at the crash scene. Crucially, she maintained that the last person she remembered driving her car was Jon Jones.
Adding another layer, police reports indicate that phone records show Jon Jones’ phone called the woman’s phone a total of 13 times between the time of the crash and the following morning, and numerous text messages were also exchanged during this period.
Retirement and Division Shake-up
The official announcement of Jones’ retirement came after a period of uncertainty in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Jones had not competed since his victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November, where he captured the heavyweight title in a sold-out Madison Square Garden event. Fans and many in the sport had anticipated a title unification bout between Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall, but Jones had reportedly shown little interest in the matchup publicly. With Jones’ retirement, Tom Aspinall has now been promoted to the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.
It is important to note that while the new criminal charge surfaced around the same time as the retirement announcement, initial reports indicate there is currently no evidence presented to suggest the two events are directly connected.
A Familiar Pattern of Legal Issues
This latest incident unfortunately adds to a lengthy and well-documented history of legal troubles for Jon Jones, particularly involving vehicles. His career, while marked by unparalleled success and dominance inside the octagon, has been routinely punctuated by controversies outside of it.
Most notably, in 2015, also in Albuquerque, Jones was involved in a felony hit-and-run accident that injured a pregnant woman. He initially fled that scene on foot before returning for cash and fleeing again. He eventually pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received probation. Other past incidents include multiple DWI arrests and a drag-racing violation. This pattern of behavior with vehicles has been a persistent issue throughout his tenure.
Jon Jones is scheduled to appear in Metro Court in Albuquerque for a bond arraignment hearing related to the new misdemeanor charge on July 24th. His retirement closes a chapter on one of the most dominant yet complicated careers in mixed martial arts history, ending under the shadow of familiar legal challenges.
