Jon Jones won’t see the inside of a jail cell.
Arguably the greatest MMA on the planet has avoided jail time for his involvement in a hit-and-run in which a pregnant woman broke her arm.
“Mr. Jones, you got real lucky, and in a number of ways, I think you need to talk to young people because making one stupid decision changes your entire future,” Judge Charles Brown of the Second Judicial District Court said on Tuesday during the former UFC light-heavyweight champion’s hearing, as MMA Junkie reports.
Jones was given 18 months of supervised probation and will be required to make 72 youth outreach/charity appearances. He also avoided fines and fees.
“I am here to accept full responsibility for what happened, and I hope you can give me an opportunity to redeem myself,” Jones said during the hearing.
Jones was the light-heavyweight champ until he was banned indefinitely from the sport and had his belt revoked by the UFC over the incident.
He reportedly returned to the scene later to grab cash from the rented vehicle, before fleeing it again.
Police found MMA memorabilia and paperwork linking the car to the fighter, as well as a marijuana pipe with marijuana, condoms, and snacks.
He then turned himself in about 24 hours later before the UFC removed from the main event at UFC 187, where he was replaced by the successor to his light heavyweight throne Daniel Cormier.
The UFC have since issued the following statement regarding Jones:
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.
