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While UFC fans and pundits were busy debating whether Jon Jones avoided a fight against Tom Aspinall in the aftermath of his retirement, court documents from Albuquerque emerged, tying the former UFC heavyweight champion to a disturbing incident. According to the report, Jones is facing a misdemeanor charge for allegedly fleeing the scene of a car crash.
A woman was found intoxicated, partially undressed, and told police that Jones had been driving before disappearing on foot. Jones reportedly contacted the woman 13 times following the crash. When authorities called the number she provided, the man on the other end appeared intoxicated, issued vague threats, and refused to confirm his identity.
Former rival Daniel Cormier recently reacted to the reports of Jones allegedly fleeing the car crash scene. Instead of outrage or disbelief, Cormier offered acceptance, claiming that he was not surprised. He said:
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"Today, I found out through people on the internet, because even today they still love to send me things about Jon Jones, that Jon Jones has a pending thing in Albuquerque right now. That’s just sad... It made me question what does this guy’s life look like when he does not have this. I felt when I was watching that that Jon Jones is so tied to mixed martial arts. What does life look like when it’s gone? And it will leave such a void, as it does for so many fighters."
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He added:
"The saddest thing about this to me is that it’s not surprising. I’ve seen him do things over the course of his career that have been very dangerous. It’s just not smart. I hope that as he goes into this next phase of his career, if it’s over forever, he fills the void with something positive. He’s got some beautiful children. He’s got a longtime girlfriend. He needs to fill that time with those people if he’s going to be able to come out of the other side of his career with something else."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (8:00):
Daniel Cormier reflects on Jon Jones’ struggles outside the cage
Daniel Cormier admitted that it hurts to see another Jon Jones spiral. Cormier questioned the timing of his retirement and suggested he walked away to avoid fighting Tom Aspinall.
He hopes Jones takes control of his life before it’s too late. He also drew a parallel to the downfall of Jones' brother in football. Speaking in the aforementioned video on his YouTube channel, Cormier said:
"When people send me the article and go, ‘Wow, trash this guy,’ that doesn’t really make me happy. It makes me look at another Black athlete that is struggling. I hope this guy gets it together, man. Beating Tom Aspinall would have further legitimized his career... I can also hope that this dude gets that other stuff under control. Jon Jones got to get this together, man. We saw his brother struggle down the stretch when he was playing football. And it made me sad to see. I hope we don’t go down the same path with this guy.”
