Ex-UFC champion Jon Jones is facing two charges, including a felony, after being arrested in Las Vegas last week, and his rival has an idea for how the UFC can handle the situation.
According to a recent report from MMA Fighting, Jones is accused of pulling his fiance’s hair and then headbutting a cop car hours after being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for his bout with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 in September 2013.
He’s been charged with misdemeanor battery domestic violence and injuring or tampering with a vehicle, which is a felony in Nevada.
To read more about Jones’ arrest, tap here.
A three-time UFC title challenger and former opponent of “Bones,” Chael Sonnen, recently took to his YouTube channel, sharing a video with his thought on the former light heavyweight champion’s arrest and allegations.
“The American Gangster” and Jones have a longstanding rivalry that has gotten progressively worse since their fight at UFC 159 in April 2013, one fight prior to Bones’ Hall of Fame victory over Gustafsson.
GettyChael Sonnen & Jon Jones
Jones and Sonnen frequently take shots at each other on social media, resulting in Bones blocking The American Gangster on Twitter earlier this year.
Well, Sonnen shared an idea for how the UFC can go about dealing with Jones’ arrest and charges.
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Sonnen Said ‘A Bigger Punishment’ for Jones Could Be Him Remaining on the UFC’s Roster
As MMA fans know, Jones has a past riddled with legal problems, including a hit-and-run incident in 2015 and most recently, a DWI charge in March 2020.
There have been calls from some of the MMA community for the UFC to cut Bones following his Las Vegas arrest. But to Sonnen, it may be better for the promotion to hold onto Jones as a “bigger punishment.”
“If Jon were to be released, I understand his value would diminish tremendously,” said via BloodyElbow.com. “His value is only worth whatever the market brings. If the biggest player goes out, your market comes down. All the same, you’re back to being active.
“A bigger punishment, in some ways, is to keep him doing what he’s doing right now. He does not have a sponsor to speak of. He does not have a paycheck of any kind coming in. He does not have an active license. He does not have a contract, something to look forward to.
“In some ways, if you’re one of those negative people that just want to punish Jon, you may wanna rethink this whole pressure on Dana to release him. Keeping him right where he is, freezing and/or suspending the contract but keeping him under contract, keeps him unemployed. That’s a damn big punishment. In all fairness, that’s a damn big punishment.”
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Jones Is Preparing for Heavyweight, Due in Court in Late October
Jones hasn’t competed since February 2020 when he defended his light heavyweight strap against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247.
He vacated the belt in summer 2020 to move up to heavyweight where he plans to make his debut next year. At the moment, it’s unclear what Bones’ fighting future holds due to the recent allegations.
Jones is due in court on October 26, 2021.
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Idea for Handling Jon Jones: ‘That’s a Damn Big Punishment’