Yahoo Sports UFC Reviewing Jon Jones Guilty Plea
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones pleaded guilty to a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident in a New Mexico court on Tuesday morning.
The judge accepted a plea deal the Jones' team struck with the prosecution, sentencing him to 18 months of supervised probation and 72 speaking appearances with youth groups. As part of the plea deal, Jones was granted a conditional discharge, which means that if he meets all the terms the judge set for him, he will avoid having a felony go on his record, and he has no travel restrictions placed upon his personal work schedule. In other words, he can still fight if he so chooses.
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Following Jones' hearing, the UFC on Tuesday issued the following statement regarding the former champion's future with the company:
“The UFC organization is aware that Jon Jones reached a plea agreement with authorities in Albuquerque, New Mexico this morning stemming from charges associated with a motor vehicle accident earlier this year. As a result, UFC, through Las Vegas-based law firm Campbell & Williams, will thoroughly review the agreement before discussing Jones’ possible reinstatement to return to competition.
“More information will be made available following completion of this review.”
Jones was stripped of his UFC belt following his involvement in a felony hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque on April 27, 2015, that left a pregnant motorist injured. He faced a felony charge of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Bodily Harm or Death.
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Jones ran a red light and smashed his rented SUV into a car, which, in turn, smashed into another car. The driver of the car he allegedly smashed into suffered a fractured arm and wrist. Jones then fled the scene on foot, reportedly without so much as checking to see if anyone was injured.
During Tuesday's hearing, Jones accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to the injured driver.
