Police: Jones dented police SUV with head
Officers in Las Vegas, Nev., say former UFC champion damaged patrol vehicle during his arrest last week
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Former UFC champion and Albuquerque resident Jon Jones dented a patrol vehicle with his head during his arrest last week on a domestic battery charge for allegedly grabbing his fiancée by her hair, according to an arrest report made public Tuesday.
Jones’ fiancée left their room at Caesars Palace with the couple’s three children and police said she had apparent blood on her clothing when officers interviewed her about the pre-dawn altercation Friday.
Jones, 34, was walking outside the Las Vegas Strip hotel when he was stopped by officers and “became irate and smashed his head onto the front hood” of the patrol SUV, leaving a medium dent and chipped paint, the report said.
Jones trains at Albuquerque’s renowned Jackson Wink MMA Academy, the same gym used by former UFC women’s world champion Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Carlos Condit, Keith Jardine and Mike Perry.
Nevada jail and court records showed Jones was freed over the weekend from the Clark County jail on $8,000 bail pending an Oct. 26 court date for prosecutors to file criminal charges.
The domestic battery charge is a misdemeanor. The vehicle charge is a felony, with damage reported at more than $5,000.
Court records did not reflect if Jones had an attorney.
Jones, who maintains his residence in Albuquerque, attended a UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Las Vegas the night before his arrest. His 2013 fight with Alexander Gustafsson was honored.
Jones (26-1, 1 no-contest) won the UFC light heavyweight championship three times from 2011 to 2020, and is widely considered one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.
Nicknamed “Bones” by a high school wrestling coach due to his slight frame as a teenager, Jones began his professional MMA career in 2008 while two of his brothers made it to the NFL as defensive linemen. His older brother, Arthur, played for the Ravens, Colts and Redskins while his younger brother, Chandler, plays for the Cardinals.
Jones has had a long history with running afoul of the law. He has been arrested six times, including a 2015 incident in which he left the scene of a traffic accident in which he hit a pregnant woman’s vehicle in Albuquerque. He later turned himself in and was charged with a felony for the hit and run.
He was sentenced to 18 months probation and community service. He was also stripped of his title belt and suspended for nearly six months by the UFC.
He endured a pair of doping allegations in 2016 and 2017. In 2019 he was charged with battery after an alleged incident involving an Albuquerque cocktail waitress. He was arrested in 2020 for driving under the influence.
Jones has won 10 bouts by knockout and six more by submission.
New Mexican sports editor Will Webber contributed to this report.
Jones has had a long history with running afoul of the law. He has been arrested six times.