Jon Jones Strikes Plea Deal, Domestic Violence Charge Dropped

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will avoid serious charges of domestic violence. On Thursday, TMZ broke the news that Jones had agreed to a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor destroying property of another, but the misdemeanor count of domestic violence had been dropped.

Jones has been ordered to pay restitution to the victim, participate in anger management training, and otherwise stay out of trouble.

The charges stemmed from an incident that took place in Las Vegas in September, just hours after Jones had been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. That night, police were called to a hotel after Jones’ fiancee was seen bleeding from the lip. When confronted by police, an intoxicated Jones slammed his head into a police vehicle.

Jones released a statement after his arrest denying any violence against his fiancee.

Widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters ever, Jones is no stranger to trouble with the authorities. In addition to multiple failed drug tests, Jones has been convicted of drunk driving, battery, and hit-and-run throughout his 13-year UFC tenure.

As a result of Jones’ most recent arrest, he has been asked to leave his longtime Albuquerque gym, Jackson-Wink MMA.

Jones last competed in February 2020, winning a contentious split decision to Dominick Reyes. Since then, Jones has stated his intention to move up to heavyweight to challenge for a title in his second division.