Jon Jones “Extends his thanks” after plea deal reached in Albuquerque assault case

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his legal team have reached a resolution in his assault case in Albuquerque involving two Drug-Free Sport testers at his home.

Jones, who faces Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 main event on November 16, was supposed to appear in court on Tuesday before his attorneys announced a plea deal had been reached. All charges against Jones, including assault and interference with communication, will be dismissed as long as Jones completes an anger management course.

Jones pleaded not guilty to the charges in July after calling the allegations “baseless” in social media posts. He was accused of assaulting a female tester and stealing her cell phone during a routine Drug Free Sport test earlier this year.

According to the accuser, Jones became frustrated during the interaction and threatened the two testers. He later called them “unprofessional” in the days after the incident.

Jones’s plea deal is conditioned on him following all laws and completing anger management classes in the next 90 days.

Jon Jones gets positive legal news just weeks before UFC 309 return

In a recent tweet, Jones made his first public remarks after the plea deal was reached.

I would like to extend my thanks to the justice system for reaching a prompt resolution in this matter, which affirms my innocence and enables me to maintain my focus on the upcoming fight. I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to defend my heavyweight title on November 16th…

— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 29, 2024

“I would like to extend my thanks to the justice system for reaching a prompt resolution in this matter, which affirms my innocence and enables me to maintain my focus on the upcoming fight,” Jones tweeted Tuesday.

“I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to defend my heavyweight title on November 16th at Madison Square Garden.”

The plea deal is a welcomed piece of positive legal news for Jones. Throughout his UFC career, he’s found himself in trouble on numerous occasions outside of the Octagon.

Jones was charged with domestic violence in Sept. 2021 stemming from an incident at a Las Vegas resort involving his fiancee. The charges, including tampering with a police vehicle, were later dropped in court.

Jones will now turn his full attention towards his UFC comeback against Miocic. It’s his first heavyweight title defense after winning the then-vacant belt over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.