Shocking Details of Criminal Charges on Jon Jones Surfaces after Retirement Announcement

UFC veteran Jon Jones has got into another legal battle involving alleged drunk driving following his UFC retirement.

Shocking Details of Criminal Charges on Jon Jones Surfaces after Retirement Announcement

Jon Jones gets booked for a drunk driving case (via Imago)

On the verge of retirement, Jon Jones‘ next step in his career had been the talk of the time for some months now. The public pressure on Jones for his next move was massive and finally, the fighter decided to retire. While retirement generally means leaving the limelight with peace, for Jones, this might not be the case with his latest criminal charges.

On February 24, 2025, Jones was allegedly involved in a two-car crash in Albuquerque before evading the scene. Officers discovered a partially unclothed, intoxicated female passenger at the crash site, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the entire situation. Later, Jones reportedly phoned the woman’s number while sounding intoxicated and refused to identify himself to responding officers properly.

In the same conversation, he allegedly made serious threats, suggesting he could use lethal force through unnamed third-party individuals. According to the woman involved, she got intoxicated and consumed mushrooms at Jones’s house and later found herself at the traffic accident. A misdemeanor criminal case was filed, charging him with failing to remain at the scene of the accident.

Jones is scheduled to appear for a bond arraignment hearing on July 24, 2025, in Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Court. For Jones, however, this is a familiar experience given his previous cases, which attracted various criticisms. While this is classified as a misdemeanor, it revives memories of his 2015 felony – a hit-and-run that damaged his public image.

Jones’ recent retirement now appears overshadowed by legal trouble, potentially staining the legacy he hoped to preserve after leaving the octagon. After months of anticipation, fans wanted him to fight the interim champion Tom Aspinall but that fight is officially off. CEO Dana White announced this during the UFC Baku press conference and also shared his opinion on the situation.

UFC pushes Tom Aspinall following Jon Jones’ retirement

Since last year, Tom Aspinall has wanted to fight Jon Jones to unify the heavyweight belts, but he never got the opportunity. UFC kept prioritizing Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, leaving Aspinall waiting despite his interim title win and rising popularity. After UFC 309, Dana White promised to shift focus toward Aspinall, but now it’s completely off.

Dana White talks about Jon Jones' retirement
Dana White talks about Jon Jones’ retirement (via X)

White repeatedly stated Jones vs. Aspinall was the biggest fight with massive pay-per-view potential. Reports claimed UFC was even willing to meet Jones’ hefty financial demands to eventually face Aspinall afterward. Following Jones’ retirement, White acknowledged the delay, admitting the unfairness towards the interim champion.

Tom Aspinall’s a good guy. He’s been incredible through this whole process that we’ve gone through. He’s been willing to do anything. Fight him anywhere at anytime and do this and now he’s like, ‘I’ll fight anybody. You tell me who and I’ll fight them.’ So, Aspinall’s been great. He’s going to be a great heavyweight champion for us and I’m excited to work with him.

With Jones officially retiring, UFC has named Aspinall the new undisputed heavyweight champion, ending months of speculation. Fans quickly recalled Aspinall’s past comments, where he joked about retiring Jones without ever facing him in the Octagon. Now, that prediction has come true, fueling debate among fans who feel Jones avoided arguably the toughest test of his career.

Aspinall has gracefully accepted the championship and assured fans he will remain active, hungry, and ready to take on all challengers. Former title contender Ciryl Gane is one of the biggest names that has yet to fight the UK native. It would be interesting to see whether this will lead to the revival of the previously dying UFC heavyweight division.