Anytime “Jon Jones” and “driving” appear in the same headline, MMA fans around the globe tend to groan instinctually. This time though, they need not panic. Jones isn’t worried.
On Sunday, news came out (reported by KRQE News) that Jones was pulled over and was unable to show documentation of his driving license and his insurance. A non-starter on even a slow news day, after all, people forget their wallet all the time. It’s when you take into account Jones recent transgressions… Well then things get a bit weird.
In April of last year, Jones was involved in a hit and run, where he drove through a red light and hightailed it away from the scene… Before allegedly high tailing it back, and then away again. The victim of the collision was a pregnant woman.
In September, Jones was seen in court and was sentenced to 18 months probation. It was wondered if a part of that sentence was the condition that he break no laws during his probation.
So questions began to arise in the MMA world. Would Jones be in serious trouble? Would he be able to face Daniel Cormier for the Light heavyweight championship (the one that he never lost, but lost?). After all, the bout was only announced the other day.
Luckily, Jones isn’t worried, nor is his representation.
Appearing on MMAFighting’s MMAHour, Jones’s manager Malki Kawa went into detail about the incident and downplayed the incident.
“He was pulled over for a minor traffic violation,” Kawa said. “And he was cited for not having his paperwork with him. He’ll be in court Wednesday and he will do just like the rest of us do when we get a ticket. He’ll go to court, and get it dismissed probably or the judge will say you gotta get your paperwork together.
“It’s no big deal, it’s really no big deal. I don’t understand the hype around it, but hey, it’s Jon Jones.”
As for Jones himself, he seemed largely unimpressed by the attention from the media. In a tweet replying to a fan, Jones said “Lol either I’m really just that important or journalists are starving these day,” before uploading a video to Instagram mocking the medias apparent focus on his transgression, as opposed to his upcoming bout and new found sobriety.
“Guys, I’ve gotten my sobriety back,” Jones said. “Almost five months sober now, living happier and healthier, got rid of a lot of people that didn’t need to be in my life, completed 65 appearances talking to the youth in the community, about to win a world title in a few weeks and they’re talking about tickets.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBi2cwssDLl/
Since the news broke, it appears Jones will serve 3 days community service, and that’s where this story ends. What does continue on from her, is the interesting questions about Jones’s reputation, and how his fans see him.
With a history of repeated offences (DUI, a positive cocaine test, the hit and run, to name a few), it’s hardly any wonder people are hesitant to fully believe the 28 year olds “it’s all good now” comments.
Perhaps that comes from a place of concern. Jones is after all arguably the greatest of all time. His fights are more artistic than violent, turning into tactical displays of confidence and ability.
The way in which he has dispatched his opponents, specifically and purposefully using their own style against them, such as smashing Chael Sonnen with ground and pound, beating up Glover Teixeira from phone booth range, and out grinding Daniel Cormier. It’s all made Jones unarguably the best light heavyweight ever seen.
It perhaps means then, that the fans dismay whenever things like this hit the newsstands comes from, rather than a place of judgement and desire for him to fail, a place of admiration and hope for him to show us his greatness.
With his return bout against Daniel Cormier likely the biggest of his career, and one that turns his remarkable career path from the bad boy ‘undefeatable’ to the hero seeking redemption, it still feels as if the Jones-journey back to the cage is a perilous one, and one that could disappear at any moment down another rabbit hole.
Please April 23rd. Get here soon.
