UFC president Dana White believes Jon Jones’ recent battery charge won’t be a major issue.
Jones, who is the promotion’s light heavyweight champion, is currently facing a misdemeanor battery charge after an incident that took place in April in a strip club in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jones is accused of “slapping a cocktail waitress in her genital area at a strip club, pulling her down to his lap and kissing her neck” according to the criminal summons that was obtained by ESPN.
Despite previously stating that he was now ‘numb’ to Jones’ antics outside the cage, Dana White has rushed to the support of the pay-per-view star, reassuring fans that he will indeed fight again.
“I haven’t talked to Jon but I don’t want to get into that whole thing,” White explained at the recent UFC 240 post-fight press conference. “But I can tell you this: I saw some videos, [and] Jon Jones will be fighting again.”
“It’s sad… Sad how something like that would happen to him.”
Jones’ rollercoaster of a UFC career has continued to hit new lows in recent years. In 2016 he tested positive for two banned substances, clomiphene and letrozole, prior to his UFC 200 bout with bitter rival Daniel Cormier. He received a one-year suspension from USADA, with the panel concluding that the substances were not taken intentionally.
The issues with USADA didn’t stop there, as Jones once again tested positive for a banned substance the following year, this time it being Turinabol. The committee once again came to the settlement that “Bones” was not intentionally taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Due to all the history and controversy surrounding his name, White was first to agree that it’s hard to give Jones benefit of the doubt when a case like this appears.
“It’s hard to give Jon Jones the benefit of the doubt until you see the videos. I think Jon Jones is going to be fine,” voiced White.
