UFC’s Jon Jones was on ’emotional roller coaster’ during domestic violence-related arrest
Written by luck on September 28, 2021
UFC fighter Jon Jones allegedly pulled a woman’s hair and head-butted a police car hours after one of his fights was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last week.
An arrest report released Tuesday by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department lays out the sequence of events that led to Jones being arrested Friday morning on two charges: injuring or tampering with a vehicle (a felony) and misdemeanor battery domestic violence. Jones was released Friday evening on $8,000 bail and is due back in court on Oct. 26.
Jones was apprehended by police on the Las Vegas Strip just before 6 a.m. Friday. When he was taken into custody, the report states that Jones “became irate and smashed his head onto the front hood” of a police vehicle, causing a medium-sized dent and paint chipping. That led to the felony charge of injuring or tampering with a vehicle.
In an interview at the Caesars Palace resort, the woman involved in the incident told police that Jones was a “little” physical with her, touching the back of her head and pulling her hair. She said Jones did not hit her. However, police observed blood on the woman’s clothing and a bump on her lip with dried blood. She explained that her lips were really dry. Police also observed blood on the bed sheets in the hotel room, the report stated.
The woman, whom ESPN is not identifying, told police that Jones was aggressive with her, but not violent, per the report. He grabbed the back of her hair to prevent her from leaving the hotel room. Police observed the woman with a swollen lower lip and a red mark on her upper right cheek. The woman did not allow photos to be taken, nor did she agree to a voluntary statement or recording of the interview.
A Caesars security guard told police she encountered the woman, who broke into tears when asked if she was OK, according to the arrest report. The woman said she was afraid to go back to the room. She was taken to the security office.
According to the report, prior to being read his Miranda rights, Jones said the Las Vegas Metro PD would be facing a lawsuit for putting him in handcuffs on the biggest night of his life. After his rights were read, Jones “immediately burst into tears,” the report stated. The report described Jones as going through an “emotional roller coaster.”
Jones denied to police that he ever touched the woman and had a hard time remembering certain points of the night, per the report. After the interview, police said that Jones “stated jokingly that he would like to take us all on and see what we could do.” Jones, per the report, feinted like he was going to escape the handcuffs and fight the police officers. The officers told Jones that they were not joking around and that they would use a Taser on him if he continued with that behavior. Jones apologized, the report stated.
Jones, 34, has had several run-ins with the law and outside-the-cage issues, including several DUIs and a felony hit-and-run in 2015. Jones has also failed two drug tests during his MMA career.
Jones, who has never truly been beaten in the cage, is a longtime light heavyweight champion. He is in the midst of moving up to heavyweight to challenge for that division’s title. He has not fought since February 2020.
Jones took to social media on Tuesday, posting video of him bench pressing along with several written comments.
“I have way too much trauma to consume alcohol, my brain simply can’t handle it anymore,” his Instagram post said. “I will leave alcohol in my past forever.”
“Now is the time to work harder than ever.
“Turn this nightmare into the best thing to ever happen in my life.”
When asked about Jones’ arrest, UFC president Dana White said he would see how the fighter’s case plays out legally.
