Jon Jones News: UFC Defends April Decision Stripping 'Bones' Of Title, Says Former Champ Made '100% Inaccurate Statements' In Interview
The UFC has released its official statement in response to former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' recent comments regarding the stripping of his title in April.
"Bones" had been involved in a hit-and-run accident in his new hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico during the said month. The incident came on top of his post-UFC 182 drug test in early January, where he tested positive for cocaine.
In a recent tell-all interview with veteran mixed martial arts journalist Ariel Helwani, the 28-year old fighter, who was once deemed as the sport's pound-for-pound king, claimed that the UFC would not have stripped him of his 205-pound title if he were ready to face his then upcoming challenger Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
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"I really have a feeling that if I was ready to fight, they would have let me fight. Especially because there was no court date," Jones explained. "I wasn't proven guilty of anything at the time. I feel as if they would have let me fight. For sure."
In the same interview, Jones admitted to being a marijuana addict and shared how much he had loved to party and would go drinking four times a week. The said fight against Johnson was slated to take place a month after his arrest, and this factor was what made him apprehensive about going through with training camp.
"I knew fight week for me would be hell," Jones said. "The fans were going to give it to me the way I deserved it. I didn't really have the courage to go through that at the time."
The UFC recently aired its side of the story through MMA Fighting.com. According to the said report, Jones' statements were "100 percent inaccurate," noting that company officials had informed him beforehand that he would be stripped of his title.
The report adds that according to a UFC official, the organization "stayed in close communication with Jones, his manager and his publicist throughout the legal process,".
The company executives, who have not been named, were reported to have flown down to Albuquerque during the day of Jones' plea hearing.
