Jon Jones Releases Statement After Reaching Plea Agreement

Jon Jones has reached a plea deal with Albuquerque prosecutors after his latest moment of madness. Police arrested him on an aggravated DUI charge and for negligent use of a firearm. Because of his history of DUIs, there was a genuine risk of him getting jail time. However, that is now off the table.

Instead, Jones will receive 96 hours of community custody (essentially house arrest) and one year of supervised probation. He also must attend a minimum of 90 days of outpatient therapy – which will be conducted via video conferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and 48 hours worth of community service.

Things could definitely be much worse for Jones. In short, we’re all basically under house arrest right now anyway. The UFC hasn’t released a statement yet. But with Dana White’s one-man war against the coronavirus, it’s possible he doesn’t even know. Jones is in the clear again. For now.

Statement

After agreeing to a plea deal, Jones released a statement to his fans. He acknowledged that he let everybody down and that he has a problem with alcohol.

“While we all work to understand and cope with stress and uncertainties surrounding the current state of our world, I want to express how truly disappointed I am that I have become the source of a negative headline again, especially during these trying times,” Jones said. “I am disappointed for letting down the people I care about the most – my family, friends and my fans. This morning I entered into a plea deal with the Albuquerque DA’s office. I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I know that I have some personal work to do to which involves the unhealthy relationship I have with alcohol.

“I have dedicated so much time and energy to improve my community, and I will not allow this personal setback to hinder my work within the community when we need it most. I truly appreciate the support I have received from the community of Albuquerque and all my fans around the world. I very much look forward to putting this behind me. Thank you all for your continued love and support and please take care of yourselves.”

Warning

However, any violation of his plea agreement will result in jail time. The Bernalillo District Attorney’s office made that clear. They said that he must complete the terms laid out. However, he’s clearly on his last strike. Next time, he’s out. The office said:

“Jon Jones pleaded guilty to his second DWI. The incident happened on March 26, 2020 outside a downtown Albuquerque nightclub, just two months after his probation ended following an incident at an Albuquerque strip club. Jones took responsibility for his actions early on in the case and in doing so the state agreed to 1 year supervised probation. Normally, the State would be requesting a pre-sentencing report and a recommendation to Substance Recovery Court. However, due to COVID-19, it is not clear the program can accept anyone at this time.

“It is also the reason that we are agreeing to the 4 days on CCP with 90 days for turn-in (the metropolitan jail just reported a new case of COVID-19). Jones is still required to complete a minimum of 90 day outpatient treatment, maximum fines and fees, community service, and all other requirements of reporting to probation. His attorney and Mr. Jones have been made aware that if he fails to do this, the State will seek to impose the balance of any jail time without regard for any exceptional circumstances.”

Back to Work

Jan Blachowicz is Jones’s most likely next opponent. The Polish fighter is a canny veteran of the game, with genuine knockout power. However, he will be a massive underdog against Jones. It will be interesting to see what moves the light-heavyweight champion makes in the next year. A rematch with Dominick Reyes is possible but there’s nothing else.

Will he finally move up to heavyweight? it feels like that’s the only way for him to recover his legacy. His reputation has taken a lot of damage already. However, nobody knows how he would cope with genuine heavyweight power. A fight against Francis Nganou would be amazing. Jones is in a very strange place right now. With the rise of Israel Adesanya, he’s also under threat as one of the faces of the UFC.

Things are falling apart.