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While the fighters of the UFC are widely recognized as some of the toughest men and women on the planet, for the most part they’re also seen as law-abiding citizens.
Unfortunately, a number of UFC stars have also found themselves in hot water with the law over the years – with DUI (driving under the influence) seemingly being a common problem.
The majority of fighters caught for DUI over the years were already past their prime when the incidents happened, but in one memorable case, a reigning champion was busted.
Here are five UFC fighters who were arrested for DUI.
#5. Tony Ferguson – former interim UFC lightweight champion
The latest UFC star to be arrested for DUI is former interim lightweight champ Tony Ferguson.
‘El Cucuy’ was picked up by police this weekend following a crash in Hollywood that reportedly saw his truck flipped onto its side.
Reports suggested that Ferguson crashed into two parked cars outside a nightclub, and then refused to take a sobriety test, with the suggestion being that he was “very uncooperative.”
Ferguson has since been charged with a misdemeanor, and has now been released without the requirement of bail, based on a written promise to appear in court.
Ferguson’s last fight saw him lose by submission to Nate Diaz. It was the fifth loss in a row for ‘El Cucuy’, and his future was already up in the air because of this. Whether this arrest now puts his career with the UFC in jeopardy remains to be seen.
#4. B.J. Penn – former UFC lightweight champion
Another UFC legend to fall foul of the law was former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn. Once considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, as his career began to wind down, the issue began to mount up for ‘The Prodigy’.
Already on a seven-fight losing streak, Penn found himself released from his contract after footage of him being knocked out in a street brawl emerged in 2019.
In early 2020, though, things got worse for the Hawaiian. It was reported that after a crash that saw him flip his pickup truck outside a shopping mall in Hilo, Penn was investigated for DUI and his blood was drawn for a test. In this case, no charges were filed.
That wasn’t the case in 2021, though. This time, ‘The Prodigy’ was picked up by cops following a report of a reckless driver, and was arrested on a DUI charge.
Remarkably, footage of his arrest was taken at the scene and made its way online, showing an angry and confused Penn being loaded into a police car.
In the end, Hawaii State ended up dropping the charges on the former lightweight kingpin, although they were dismissed without prejudice – meaning they could be re-filed in the future.
#3. Desmond Green – former UFC lightweight contender
It’s probably fair to say that Desmond Green’s career with the UFC was largely unmemorable. ‘The Predator’ spent just over two years with the promotion, and put together a reasonable octagon record of 4-3 during his time there.
However, despite being on a two-fight win streak, he was abruptly released from his contract with the promotion. If this seemed like a strange call, it made much more sense when the details of his legal issues emerged.
In June 2019 it was announced that Green had been arrested and jailed on 20 separate charges, including DUI manslaughter, following a major car wreck in the summer of 2018.
The incident allegedly saw Green veer his car into the path of an oncoming truck, causing a five-vehicle crash that saw two people killed at the scene. According to reports, the fighter failed a sobriety test and police found drugs in his car.
More worryingly, Green was reportedly driving with a suspended licence following a previous incident that also saw him booked for DUI.
Incredibly, after being released on bail while awaiting trial, Green ended up being jailed again in early 2020 after violating the terms of his release.
As of the time of writing, Green is still awaiting a trial for the initial incident, and has returned to fighting, albeit not with the UFC.
#2. Stephan Bonnar – former UFC light heavyweight contender
The late Stephan Bonnar was widely credited with helping the UFC rise to popularity back in 2005. His wild fight with Forrest Griffin at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame in 2013, and he was a staple of cards from his debut until his departure for Bellator MMA in 2014.
However, it’s fair to say that ‘The American Psycho’ dealt with plenty of demons during and after his MMA career.
Bonnar was banned twice after testing positive for anabolic steroids during his time with the UFC, and in 2018, he found himself in legal trouble after being arrested for DUI.
‘The American Psycho’ was stopped by police after they received calls about his red Cadillac being driven in a “reckless manner” just outside Las Vegas. By the time cops arrived on the scene, reports suggested that Bonnar had already been restrained by members of the public and appeared to be incoherent.
Bonnar then resisted arrest, and was eventually taken in after being charged with two misdemeanors. Later, disturbing footage of his arrest was made available to view online.
In the years that followed this incident, ‘The American Psycho’ continued to struggle with numerous issues, and sadly passed away in 2022 following an accidental fentanyl overdose.
#1. Jon Jones – UFC heavyweight champion
The most infamous example of a UFC star who was arrested for DUI remains current heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones.
It isn’t unfair to say that while Jones' career inside the octagon has been phenomenal, it’s also been littered with controversy outside it.
Some of the incidents involving Jones have included three failed drug tests, a charge of battery in 2019, and a domestic violence arrest in 2021.
However, it’s his history of DUI that remains the blackest cloud hanging over him. Jones has been busted on the charge on two occasions, and that isn’t mentioning the hit-and-run incident that saw him stripped of his light heavyweight title in 2015.
2012 saw Jones drive his vehicle into a pole, an incident that saw him subsequently charged with DUI. He was consequently fined $1,000 and saw his driving licence suspended for six months.
In 2020, though, worse was to come. This time, ‘Bones’ was arrested behind the wheel of his vehicle after an Albuquerque officer heard what sounded like an errant gunshot.
Jones then failed a sobriety test, and when officers searched the car, they found an empty bottle of mezcal and a handgun.
After his arrest, the star was charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container and driving with no proof of insurance.
Eventually, Jones pleaded guilty to the DWI charge after accepting a plea deal that saw the other charges dropped, and was slapped with four days' house arrest and one year of supervised probation.
He later expressed regret over his actions, and as of the time of writing, doesn’t seem to have been involved in any further DUI incidents.
