Dana White: Jon Jones will not be punished by UFC after recent arrest

According to UFC President Dana White, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will not receive any form of punishment from the UFC after being arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico earlier this year.

Jon Jones was arrested in late March and charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, and possession of an open container. Despite the fact this was not his first run-in with the law, the light heavyweight champion was able to avoid jail time.

From the sounds of it, he will not be penalized by the UFC either.

“We haven’t spoken [since his arrest], but I hope he’ll fight later this year,” White told Combate this week (translated from Portuguese).

“For my part there will be no penalty,” White added, erasing any suspicions that Jones might be suspended or stripped of his title after his arrest.

Jon Jones last fought in February, when he defended the UFC light heavyweight title with a controversial decision victory over Dominick Reyes. This win was preceded by a similarly tight decision win over Thiago Santos, a unanimous decision win over Anthony Smith, and TKO victory over Alexander Gustafsson.

At present, it’s not clear who or when Jones will fight next. That being said, the most likely options seem to be a rematch with Reyes, or a clash with Poland’s Jan Blachowicz, one of the few light heavyweight contenders Jones has not yet fought and beaten.

Despite his issues outside the cage, which include multiple legal troubles and several complicated tie-ups with the United States Anti-Doping Agency, Jon Jones is almost universally considered one of the greatest talents to compete in mixed martial arts. Hopefully, the future Hall of Famer is able to stay out of trouble from here on out.

What do you think of Dana White’s decision not to punish Jon Jones?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/7/2020.