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Tag: Jon Jones

  • Jon Jones’ Battery Domestic Violence Charge Has Been Dismissed

    The latest criminal charges brought against Jon Jones have been resolved.

    In September, Jon Jones was arrested for battery domestic violence and injuring and tampering with a vehicle. According to Las Vegas court records, Jones pleaded no contest Tuesday to the vehicle-related charges stemming from him headbutting a police car while being detained. As a result, he was ordered to pay a restitution fee of $750 for damages caused to the vehicle.

    Additionally, the domestic violence charge brought against him has been dismissed. The court ordered Jones to attend anger management counseling, but this has already been completed.

    Following the September arrest, Jones made a vow to “remove alcohol from his life forever.” Last month, he celebrated 60 days of sobriety. He has also posted updates of his personal relationship with fiancée Jessie Moses after allegedly assaulting her during the Las Vegas incident. The pair has presented a united front and remains committed to their relationship moving forward.

    Jon Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. He holds the record for most UFC light heavyweight title defenses, and his only career loss was in a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009.

    With these charges now behind him, Jones is free and clear to return to the Octagon in 2022, as he has repeatedly expressed to be his intention. Jones has stated that he expects to face the winner of the UFC 270 title-unification bout between undisputed champion Francis Ngannou and interim champion Ciryl Gane slated for January 22.

    MMA News will keep you in the loop on any additional updates regarding Jon Jones’ next bout as he prepares to make his heavyweight debut in 2022.

  • Francis Ngannou Not Buying Jon Jones’ Planned UFC Return

    UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou is moving on from the idea of a Jon Jones fight happening anytime in the near future.

    Ngannou was widely expected to make his first title defense against Jones earlier this year, but contract negotiations never materialized as Jones remained at odds with the UFC brass. After months of speculation as to who Ngannou would fight next, the UFC opted to make an interim title bout between Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis, in which Gane was the victor.

    Ngannou will face Gane in a heavyweight title unification bout at UFC 270, but that hasn’t calmed talks of a potential bout with Jones. During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Ngannou appeared to dismiss Jones’ targeted return for as soon as April.

    “Personally I don’t really care about that anymore,” Ngannou said. “There is a lot of talk about Jon Jones. He says a lot of things, yet we are still here. I wasn’t even expecting to fight someone other than Jon Jones after the Stipe (Miocic) fight, but here I am. It’s almost 10 months away, I’m going to fight Ciryl Gane which wasn’t in the picture, in the landscape at that moment at all.”

    Jon Jones Could Face The Ciryl Gane/Francis Ngannou Winner

    UFC president Dana White has been relatively vague about Jones’ plan to return, stating that he isn’t even thinking about the former light heavyweight champion until 2022. After the long hiatus, Jones could still get an immediate title shot against either Ngannou or Gane.

    One caveat in the mix is Jones’ ongoing legal issues stemming from his recent arrest in Las Vegas. He was arrested on battery domestic violence and vehicle tampering charges after allegedly assaulting his fiance at a casino. It’s unclear if this will impact his fighting future.

    Ngannou’s latest chapter in his heavyweight career will begin nearly a year after he knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 for the belt. If he’s able to get past Gane, a matchup with Jones could be back in the mix.

    Do you think we’ll ever see Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones?

  • Jon Jones’ New Team Explains Decision To Bring Him On

    Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has joined Fight Ready in Phoenix, AZ, and he’s allegedly fitting in great in the gym.

    Jones moved his camp to Arizona after a tumultuous end to his tenure with Jackson-Wink MMA in New Mexico. He was recently kicked off the team after his latest arrest in Las Vegas on battery domestic violence charges.

    Jones made the move to Fight Ready after hearing success stories from Henry Cejudo, Zhang Weili, and others at the gym. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Jones’ new striking coach, Eddie Cha, explained the decision to bring the former 205-pound king aboard.

    “Henry gave me a call and told me that Jon reached out to him and was interested in coming out,” Cha said. “We kind of prepared some things to work on and we’re super excited to have him here.”

    “For me, it was a no-brainer,” Cha continued. “I think that people make mistakes — whether they make one, two, or three. Jon’s just under a microscope. Whenever he does anything wrong, it’s magnified. But if you know him as an individual, and I don’t know him as well as other people, but I’ve heard from other people doing my research, Greg [Jackson] has never had a problem with him, [Brandon] Gibson has never had a problem with him as an individual.”

    Jon Jones Is Still Working Towards His Heavyweight Debut

    Jones is planning on a return to the Octagon after a nearly two-year hiatus from the sport. He last competed against Dominick Reyes in his final light heavyweight title defense at UFC 247, before vacating the title for a run at heavyweight.

    Jones has been at odds with the UFC brass over a new contract to move up in weight. He’s swapped management teams in hopes of creating a more stable relationship with the promotion and UFC president Dana White.

    Jones has received numerous chances to better himself outside of the gym and is looking ahead to this latest new chapter in his career and life. By the sounds of it, he’s off to a great start with his new team.

    Who would you like to see Jon Jones face in his return?

  • Jon Jones Targets Two Specific Return Dates & Clarifies Gym Situation

    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has clarified his gym situation and revealed two potential months in which we could see him return to the Octagon.

    Jones, a former two-time 205-pound UFC titleholder who has a firm place in the GOAT conversation, hasn’t been in action since February 2020. After defending the title three times against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes following his return to the throne in 2018, Jones vacated the gold in order to pursue a fresh challenge at heavyweight.

    After failed negotiations for a blockbuster fight with Francis Ngannou, a public feud with the UFC, and yet another troubling arrest, Jones looks back on track for his transition to heavyweight. He will, however, be doing it without the guidance of Mike Winkeljohn. The coach suspended “Bones” from his gym following his arrest for battery domestic violence in September.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWzS1xmFGOX/

    Following that development, Jones announced he’d joined Jackson’s MMA Acoma, a gym affiliated with coach Greg Jackson. However, he was then seen joining up with former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo and the Fight Ready team over in Arizona.

    During a recent interview with KRQE News, Jones clarified his current situation, confirming he’ll be representing both teams moving forward.

    “As far as fighting, I feel like I’m in tremendous shape. I’m excited to still be representing Albuquerque, New Mexico. I just recently joined with a team called Fight Ready out of Arizona. So I’ll be representing both teams moving forward.”

    Jones Sets His Sights On An April Or July Comeback

    Prior to his most recent arrest, Jones was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing for his 2013 barnburner with Alexander Gustafsson. While speaking to media at the ceremony, the 34-year-old revealed he was targeting a return to the Octagon in the second quarter of 2022.

    In his interaction with KRQE News, Jones provided a more specific estimation for his highly-anticipated comeback. The exact date, he said, depends on the outcome of the heavyweight unification bout set for UFC 270 in January.

    “I’m looking to fight somewhere in April, possibly Madison Square Garden, or total opposite date, possibly July at International Fight Week. So those are the two dates that I’m eying. I think it’ll depend on who wins in January between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, and we’ll just take it from there.”

    While Jones has made his desire to fight Ngannou known, a bout many expected to take place this year, the rise of Gane as an undefeated and unique heavyweight has certainly made a fight between the Frenchman and Jones an intriguing prospect.

    It’ll be interesting to see whether the former light heavyweight champ and the UFC hold onto their desire to book a fight with Ngannou if “The Predator” leaves UFC 270 without the gold, or instead switch to a title fight with “Bon Gamin.”

    Who would you rather see Jon Jones debut at heavyweight against, Ciryl Gane or Francis Ngannou?

  • Jon Jones Responds To Narrative That He’s Wasted His Prime

    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has denied the claim he’s wasted his prime years in MMA by sitting on the sidelines for the best past of two years.

    Jones, who is widely regarded as one of the leading contenders in the GOAT conversation, hasn’t been in action since UFC 247 last February. After returning from suspension in December 2018 and capturing the vacant 205-pound gold with a victory over Alexander Gustafsson, “Bones” tied Demetrious Johnson’s record for the most title defense thanks to wins against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes.

    Following a narrow unanimous decision triumph over “The Devastator,” Jones vacated the belt in order to pursue a move up to heavyweight. Since then, we’ve seen a blockbuster title fight between the 34-year-old and Francis Ngannou collapse after failed negotiations, and another worrying arrest added to the record of Jones.

    Nevertheless, Jones appears as eager as ever to make his comeback and has consistently posted footage from training as his ongoing heavyweight preparation continues. He’s even been training with Henry Cejudo over at the Fight Ready gym.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWzPqr-J0t6/

    Jones: “The Story Is Far From Over”

    While lengthy layoffs are nothing new for Jon Jones, the fact he’s looking to debut at a new weight after so long away from the Octagon, coupled with his personal troubles, has left many fans and pundits doubting the former two-time champ’s ability to return to the top of the food chain.

    In a recent Twitter exchange, one user suggested that Jones, who they see as the greatest athlete of all time, has been wasting his prime years by staying outside the Octagon. That view clearly wasn’t shared by the man himself.

    In response, Jones pointed out that he’s returned from stints away from the sport and still found incredible success. “Bones” expects that to continue when he eventually makes his first appearance at heavyweight.

    “Nothing is a guarantee my guy, even with years of inactivity I’ve been able to achieve some pretty outstanding records that are still holding to this day. And the story is far from over, I got a lot more winning to do.”

    Prior to his recent arrest, in which he was charged with battery domestic violence and injuring and tampering with a vehicle, Jones was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing. While speaking to media at the ceremony, the Rochester native revealed he was targeting a return to action in the second quarter of 2022.

    With champion Francis Ngannou and interim titleholder Ciryl Gane set to collide in a unification bout at UFC 270, it stands to reason Jones could be in line to challenge the winner later in the year. That, of course, depends on the UFC’s willingness to meet his remuneration demands, and his upcoming court date in January.

    Do you think Jon Jones can reach the top of the UFC heavyweight division?

  • Jon Jones Directs Remixed Bible Quote At His Detractors

    Jon Jones has engaged in many Twitter feuds over the years: Chael Sonnen, Daniel Cormier, Israel Adesanya, etc., but he has also never shied away from firing back at his collective mass of detractors.

    A case can be made that no fighter in UFC history has been as criticized as Jon Jones. It can’t be denied that Jones has given his detractors plenty of fuel over the years, including numerous run-ins with law enforcement and multiple atypical drug tests.

    In the case of the drug tests, though Jones was always cleared by an independent body of any intentional cheating, the fact remains that, at best, he used poor judgment to allow such discrepancies to occur, and his critics have never let him hear the end of it and have often discredited his accomplishments as a whole.

    All the while, Jones has always had plenty to say about—and directly to—his detractors. In regards to the frequent cocaine jokes made about him ever since a past drug test revealed usage, Jones pointed out that there is no telling what these same fans are into, yet nobody knows because they are not famous.  

    Early Saturday morning, Jones would reiterate a similar sentiment in his remix of a famous Bible quote.

    “Let he who was not famous when they did something dumb be glad no one cared,” Jones wrote.

    Most recently, Jones criticisms have perhaps been at an all-time high after recent allegations of domestic violence against his fiancée. Jones is set to appear in court on January 31 to answer to these charges.

    Someday, Jones intends to put all of these experiences into a book, where he’d have the free space he needs to share all of his thoughts without character limits and with as many quotes he can think of.

    “Yeah, I’m going to write one hell of a book one day. Been around the block a few times,” Jones wrote in response to a fan complimenting his advice.

    Jon Jones is currently expected to resume his UFC career in early 2022 by making his long-awaited debut in the heavyweight division.

    If Jon Jones wrote a book about his life story, would you read it?

  • Henry Cejudo On Fight Ready/Jon Jones Alliance: “He Is The Team”

    Henry Cejudo and the Fight Ready gym are all in on their Jon Jones alliance.

    After getting the boot from JacksonWink MMA by coach Mike Winkeljohn, Jon Jones was in need of a new home. He found that home in a JacksonWink affiliate gym, but since making that announcement, all we’ve seen on social media are clips and images of him training over in Arizona at Fight Ready alongside Henry Cejudo and company.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWzS1xmFGOX/

    Cejudo has already stated that he intends to hold Jones accountable as long as Jones is under his watch, thus cutting back on external distractions and setbacks.

    Now, in a recent installment of  “The Triple C & Schmo Show,” Cejudo is doubling down on that commitment, going so far as stating that Jon Jones and Fight Ready are synonymous as long as they are working together.

    “He knew that there was a lot of room for improvement for him, even though him being the GOAT,” Cejudo said. “We’re bringing new techniques, we’re bringing structure, we’re bringing a whole other level of how is it that we kind of run our program. It’s all dedicated towards somebody like Jon. He is the team. The team is built around him, so I think he sees the great things that we’re doing out here.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWMvjZ0lS8C/

    Henry Cejudo says that even though he considers Jon Jones to be the GOAT, he still has much to learn. And the more time he spends at Fight Ready, the more apparent it becomes to everyone that this is a great fit. All in all, as long as Jones is ready to learn, Cejudo and the Fight Ready crew are ready to continue dispensing guidance and learning material whenever he wants it.

    “The champ is welcome,” Cejudo said. “When you’re the champ, when you’re the GOAT, you really can do whatever it is that you want to do. But one thing that I do feel like he would have at Fight Ready is just structure, and I think that’s the reason why he loves coming out here – because of the people, the team, the professionalism that we have out here. My job is to dissect him. My job is to dissect his fundamentals. My job is to pinpoint all the minor little things he’s missing – because he is missing a lot of things, but he’s such a student.”

    Jon Jones is expected to make his heavyweight debut in 2022 but first must appear in court to answer for battery domestic violence and vehicle charges on January 31, 2022.

  • Jon Jones Sends A Warning To Winkeljohn Regarding Recent Accusations

    Jon Jones has sent a message loud and clear to his former coach Mike Winkeljohn: tread lightly.

    In October, one of Jon Jones’s longtime coaches at JacksonWink MMA, Mike Winkeljohn, made the decision to ban Jones from the gym due to the domestic violence charges he is currently facing.

    After a delayed period, Jones went absolutely scorched earth on his former coach, branding the man a “miserable bastard” and implying that he is a hypocrite for allowing a convicted rapist to train in the gym yet take such a strong stance against him.

    Winkeljohn has not yet offered any public response to Jones, but just in case he gets any ideas, Jones issued a preemptive warning Thursday in a since-deleted tweet.

    “I’m waiting for Wink to make a statement and try to deny any of my allegations, I’ll hit you guys with some more news. Some real juicy shit,” Jones vowed.

    In another deleted tweet, Jones accused Winkeljohn of threatening to ban any gym member who trained with Donald Cerrone, another disgruntled ex-Jacksonwink MMA member. Jones stated that such childish and bitter behavior is affecting the livelihood of others, even though how they spend their time away from the gym do not directly concern Winkeljohn.

    After exiting JacksonWink MMA, Jones has been spending time over in Arizona at Fight Ready, primarily under the mentorship of Henry Cejudo. Jones also recently announced that he would be training at a JacksonWink affiliate gym led by another longtime coach, Greg Jackson. It is unclear whether those plans have changed in light of this newfound feud with Winkeljohn or Jones’s increased time at Fight Ready.

    Jon Jones last competed in February 2020 in the final defense of his light heavyweight championship against Dominick Reyes. Jones is now expected to debut in the heavyweight division in 2022. But first, he’ll have to answer for the aforementioned domestic violence charges, beginning with a court date scheduled for January 31.

    What do you make of Jon Jones’s warning to Mike Winkeljohn?

  • Jon Jones Goes Scorched Earth On “Miserable Bastard” Mike Winkeljohn

    Jon Jones has gone scorched earth on former coach Mike Winkeljohn after Jones was banned from training at the JacksonWink MMA gym.

    Following Jon Jones’ September arrest for battery domestic violence and injuring/tampering with a vehicle, his longtime coach Mike Winkeljohn made the decision to ban Jones from the gym he’s called home throughout his UFC career.

    Winkeljohn made this announcement publicly appearing on The MMA Hour, saying he had no other choice because he is the father of three daughters, has other loved females in his life, and he teaches a women’s self-defense class.  

    Since this banishment, Jones has begun training at a Jackson Wink affiliate gym and has also been training at Fight Ready in Arizona alongside Henry Cejudo and others. After Winkeljohn’s decision was made public, Jones offered the following reaction on Twitter:

    Image

    “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..” the since-deleted tweet read.

    Jones would have much more to say Wednesday night and with much less of a filter.

    Jon Jones Unloads On “Miserable Bastard” Mike Winkeljohn

    UFC News - Jon Jones reacts to being temporarily suspended from the gym by Mike Winkeljohn
    Jon Jones, Mike Winkeljohn

    Wednesday evening, Jon Jones released the following tweets addressing his ban from JacksonWink MMA in October.

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466188564555730944

    “Coach Wink gets on national TV and tells the world he wants the best for me, and then behind the scenes harassing the other coaches for continuing to work with me. What a miserable bastard.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466189177104396288

    “This dude somehow has found a way to run away every single one of Gregs original fighters. I can’t think of a Jackson’s veteran that still talks with this ass whole”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466189416523714565

    “I didn’t leave the team because I couldn’t handle a punishment, I left the gym because I wasn’t training with Wink anymore anyways. This man hasn’t taught the students a new technique since I met him.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466190073452380160

    “What type of friend gets on national TV and airs his “brothers” dirty laundry. That was his opportunity to take a moral high ground over someone who trust in him. He didn’t give two shits about what actually happened that night. Anything anything for some publicity.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466190372896325636

    “If I was such a monster, he wouldn’t be still trying to monetize off of me being a former student there. There’s a John (sic) Jones poster in almost every wall in that building.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466190850749173765

    “Wink suspending me from the team changed absolutely nothing for me. I’m still working with the same exact coaches on the same exact schedule we have been on over the last two years.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466191058459500545

    “Just don’t go on TV and pretend to give a shit about someone who has made you so much money over the years, giving you so many world championships, and then behind closed doors secretly try to crush them. Real douche bag move Mike.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1466193111164461057

    “We literally had a convicted rapist training on the team for years and now all of a sudden he has morals. Get out of here.”

    As of this writing, that is where Jones’ Twitter onslaught against his former coach ends. It’s also worth noting that the above tweets may soon be deleted based on Jones’s prior Twitter habits.

    Jon Jones is scheduled to appear in court for the battery domestic violence and vehicle charges on January 31.

    What do you make of Jon Jones’ Twitter beratement of former coach Mike Winkeljohn?