After a three-year hiatus from the ring, Jon Jones made a stunning comeback at UFC 285 by defeating Ciryl Gane by submission in less than two minutes.
With this victory, Jones won the heavyweight title and cemented his status as one of the greatest of all time.
Brad Riddell, a fellow UFC veteran, took to Instagram to criticize Jones.
Riddell’s comments are referring to the incidents that have cast a shadow over Jones’ career, such as his arrest in 2015 for a hit-and-run accident in which he fled the scene after hitting a pregnant woman.
Riddell trains out of City Kickboxing in New Zealand.
Jon Jones has a well-documented history of legal troubles. While his skills are undeniable, his personal life has been marred by a series of incidents that have landed him in hot water with the law.
On April 27, 2015, Jones was involved in a hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Witnesses reported that he ran a red light and crashed his rental car into two other vehicles, injuring a pregnant woman. Jones fled the scene on foot but later returned to grab cash from the car before fleeing again. He was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
The UFC stripped Jones of his title and suspended him indefinitely, citing violations of their Athlete Code of Conduct Policy. Jones pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation, including 72 separate appearances for charity or youth outreach.
On September 24, 2021, Jones was involved in a domestic incident with his fiancée, Jessie Moses, at the Caesars Palace resort hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Police were called to the scene. Jones was detained and charged with domestic battery and tampering with a police vehicle. His bail was set at $16,000.
He was sentenced to four days of house arrest, one year of supervised probation, and a minimum of 90 days of outpatient therapy.
Jon Jones’ MMA record speaks for itself, but his legal issues have continued to overshadow his career. While he has faced consequences for his actions, some UFC stars, fans and critics have called for more severe punishment.
In addition to the legal issues, Jones legacy is complicated by a series of positive PED tests at different times. Some even argue that USADA has changed the rules to accommodate UFC’s second biggest star.