Jon Jones wanted for questioning by Albuquerque police after accident
Albuquerque police are seeking to speak with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in relation to a traffic accident in which a woman was transported to a local hospital with injuries.
Details are scarce, but reporter David Kano spoke to Albuquerque Police spokesman Simon Drobik. Drobik told Kano that rumors that drugs were found in Jones’ car are false.
“I don’t know where the hell that came from,” Drobick told Kano.
When reached by Yahoo Sports, Drobick referred to a tweet on the APD’s office Twitter account that said the police “CANNOT confirm that Jon Jones was involved in a H&R accident from this morning. The investigation is ongoing.”
Later, the police put out a statement confirming they are seeking to speak to Jones.
UFC president Dana White said he was still trying to gather facts and that no decision has yet been made regarding Jones’ status for UFC 187. Jones is slated to defend his title against Anthony Johnson on May 23 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in what will be one of the UFC’s biggest fights of the year.
The UFC released a statement late Sunday regarding the matter.
Neither Jones’ manager Malki Kawa or attorney Ofir Ventura responded to messages seeking comment.
Jones, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has had a turbulent reign as champion. Since winning the title from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in Newark, N.J., in 2011, Jones has been dominant and run through a who’s who of the best light heavyweights in the world. His only close fight was a 2013 bout against Alexander Gustafsson in Toronto, which Jones won by decision.
Jones was arrested in Binghamton, N.Y., when his 2012 Bentley Continental GT ran into a telephone pole. He was charged with driving under the influence.. He was fined $1,000 and his driver’s license was suspended for six months, but he escaped jail time.
On Dec. 4, 2014, as he was training for a title fight with arch rival Daniel Cormier, Jones failed a random pre-fight drug test that was administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission. He tested positive for cocaine, but because the positive test came out of competition and was not banned under World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, he was able to compete.
He went into a drug rehabilitation center but checked out the next day.
That came after an incident on Aug. 4 in which Jones got into a brawl with Cormier in the lobby of the MGM Grand. Jones was fined $50,000 and given 40 hours of community service, but was not suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
