Jon Jones pleads not guilty to misdemeanor charges linked to recent drug testing incident

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged altercation with two Drug Free Sport International testers.

Jones appeared in an Albuquerque, NM courtroom on Wednesday with his legal team. He pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor charge of assault, and one for interference with communication in connection to the March incident.

Jones, according to two Drug Free Sport International testers, was hostile when the pair attempted to conduct a routine drug test at his residence. In April, a female tester accused Jones of threatening her and taking her phone and would later press charges.

Jones denies any wrongdoing and a trial date will be scheduled at a later date. As for his fighting career, he’s still targeting a November return against former UFC heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic.

Jon Jones will fight assault, communication interference charges

Shortly after the incident, Jones posted security camera footage that showed him and the testers appearing to have a cordial interaction outside of his home. The footage didn’t show any assault or potential threats of violence.

This latest incident adds to Jones’s checkered history outside of the UFC. In 2021, he was arrested on domestic violence charges stemming from an incident at a Las Vegas resort with him and his fiancée.

Jones hasn’t competed inside the UFC Octagon since a submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. He won the then-vacant UFC heavyweight title after a multi-year absence from competition.

As of this writing, Jones is the #3 pound-for-pound fighter on the latest UFC rankings. He sits behind UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

Jones is widely regarded as one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time after a legendary run in the UFC. He’s defeated the likes of Daniel Cormier, Glover Teixeira, and Vitor Belfort during his UFC tenure.