On Tuesday, it was announced that Jon Jones would not be serving jail time for the hit-and-run incident he was involved in in April.
The former light-heavyweight champion, who slammed his rental car into a vehicle being driven by a pregnant woman and then fled the scene, pleaded guilty to the crime and was served with 18 months probation. The woman has fully recovered from her injuries.
“Bones” was stripped of his title and suspended indefinitely following the incident, but is expected to make his return to the UFC soon. Dana White has confirmed that the JacksonWink fighter will be granted with an immediate title shot upon his return.
Chael Sonnen, former opponent of Jon Jones and ex-UFC analyst, says Jon shouldn’t sweat his return to MMA. The self-proclaimed “American Gangster” spoke to the Brutally Honest Show on Thursday, where he said the 28-year-old has an opportunity to turn his controversy into cash.
“You just don’t quit. You keep going. From a philosophical standpoint, controversy creates cash. If you get in a jam you’ve got to get in a room with smart people and start thinking. One of my philosophies is that I don’t apologize, but that isn’t a blanket answer. If you’re wrong, apologize, but apologize to the right people. You don’t owe everybody an apology or explanation. If you’re wrong, don’t be afraid to say that you’re wrong. The cover up is always worse than the crime. Take your lumps and you’ll move forward a lot quicker.”
In Jones’ absence, Daniel Cormier seized the vacant light-heavyweight championship when he submitted Anthony Johnson at UFC 187. “DC” will take on Alexander Gustafsson in his first title defense tonight at UFC 192, where it’s expected that the former heavyweight will call Jones out for a rematch.
(Transcripts via MMA Fighting)