Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was ticketed for drag racing last Thursday, March 24th, but the 28-year-old MMA fighter – subject of a string of run-ins with the law over the past few years – is adamant that he is innocent on this occasion.
“I definitely wasn’t drag racing,” Jones explained on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I got emotional and said some things that I probably shouldn’t have said to a police officer.”
According to Jones, he was driving home last Thursday night when some fans pulled up next to him at a red light. He says he then revved his engine for the fans, at which they cheered and laughed. He then pulled away after the light turned green and was immediately pulled over by an officer.
Video footage of the incident was released by the Albuquerque Police Department shortly after Jones’ appearance on The MMA Hour.
Jones is currently serving probation for a 2015 hit-and-run incident. He is due in court next week after he was ticketed in January for driving without a license, registration or proof of insurance. He is set to rematch Daniel Cormier at UFC 197 on April 23rd.
It is unclear at this point what – if any – affect this incident will have on his scheduled UFC main event bout.
In an official statement, the UFC stated: “We are aware of the situation and are looking into the matter. We’ve also been in touch with Jon’s team regarding the matter.”
