Jon “Bones” Jones, the reigning heavyweight champion of the UFC, has come to an agreement to complete four hours of anger management classes to settle two misdemeanor charges that arose from a drug test incident at his home in New Mexico, where he was reportedly confrontational.
A bench trial was scheduled to commence on Tuesday before a judge in New Mexico; however, both the prosecutor and Jones’ defense attorney announced the resolution of the matter at the beginning of the virtual hearing.
The charges consist of a petty misdemeanor for assault and a misdemeanor for interference with communication, and they will be dismissed if Jones successfully completes the anger management sessions and abides by the law for the following 90 days.
Previously, in July, Jones had entered a plea of not guilty and labeled the allegations as unfounded when they first surfaced this year. He took to social media to express his surprise at what he described as unprofessional behavior from one of the testers, admitting that he had cursed out of frustration during the incident.
Regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Jones won the heavyweight championship by defeating Ciryl Gane with a first-round submission in March 2023. This marked his return to the octagon after a three-year hiatus and his debut in the heavyweight category, in addition to his legacy as the top light heavyweight with a record of 14 title defense victories.
Jones is set to compete against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, scheduled for November 16, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This matchup was initially planned for last year; however, Jones had to withdraw due to a pectoral injury.
In the past, Jones has faced disciplinary actions, including a one-year suspension in 2016 due to a failed drug test, which also led to his 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier being classified as a no-contest following another positive test. He later contended that he would have passed under updated standards established by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in 2019, which revised what constitutes a positive drug test.
The legal troubles began when a woman from Drug Free Sport International, the organization responsible for conducting drug tests for athletes, filed a report with the Albuquerque police in April. She accused Jones of making threats during a drug test that she and a colleague were administering at his residence.
According to the criminal complaint, the woman initially found Jones to be cooperative, but he grew increasingly agitated during the test. In response to police inquiries, Jones expressed regret for using profanity towards the woman and her colleague at the conclusion of the test. He provided video evidence, allegedly from a home security system, showing a moment where the woman gave him a high-five before departing, arguing that neither she nor her colleague appeared frightened during their interaction.