Jon Jones releases statement after recent charges dismissed
02/09/2025 22:33
Jon Jones is grateful he can move on from his most recent legal issue.
On Tuesday, Jones's attorney, Christopher Dodd, put out a statement announcing that misdemeanor charges stemming from a February incident in which Jones was accused of fleeing the scene of an accident had been dismissed by the state of New Mexico.
Shortly after the news broke, Jones took to social media to release his own statement, in which he thanked the district attorney's office for their work and acknowledged his past wrongdoing may have influenced the court of public opinion.
See Jones' statement below.
I want to begin by thanking the district attorney's office for carefully reviewing the facts and ultimately vindicating me completely. I have always believed in the importance of truth and fairness, and I am grateful that the evidence spoke for itself. The simple fact is this: I was never there. I never even left my house that night, and all the evidence proved that.
In this case, there was a rush to judgment before any real evidence was gathered. I understand that, in the court of public opinion, the allegations may have seemed believable, especially given my past mistakes. But by the time these claims were made public, I had just retired from competition, and that moment was stolen from me by someone who made false accusations to avoid a DWI and any real accountability.
I sincerely hope that this individual is held responsible by Albuquerque's law enforcement. They not only disrupted my retirement but also made our police department appear negligent in the process. It is deeply troubling that, in today's world, a single false accusation can take so much away from someone before any evidence is even considered.
Jones, one of the most decorated fighters in MMA history, has a long history of legal issues. In addition to this incident, Jones was recently involved in an altercation with a drug-testing agent in March 2024 (the case was dismissed pending 90 days of good behavior from Jones as well as anger management courses). His record also includes a domestic violence arrest in 2021, a DUI in 2012, and an infamous hit-and-run in 2015 that led to the end of his first UFC light heavyweight title run when he was stripped of the belt for violating the promotion's Code of Conduct.
This past June, the 38-year-old Jones announced his retirement from competition, but he already changed course and is currently campaigning to fight on the proposed UFC White House event targeted for the July 4 weekend in 2026.
