Jon Jones Kicked from Jackson-Wink Gym Indefinitely after Arrest
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has a big few weeks ahead of him in the midst of the ongoing investigation into his domestic violence arrest in Las Vegas, and Jackson-Wink MMA isn’t taking any chances.
Jones got word from his coach, Mike Winkeljohn last night that he won’t be welcome back at the New Mexico-based MMA gym until further notice, as Winkeljohn revealed during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani. Jones faces a court date on Oct. 26 in Las Vegas to find out what could be next for him after allegedly assaulting his fiancee in a resort just hours after his UFC Hall of Fame induction.
Winkeljohn spoke about what went into the decision to distance his gym from Jones until changes are made to his lifestyle.
Jon Jones has been a member of Jackson-Wink through his entire MMA career
“This is a tough one,” Winkeljohn said on The MMA Hour. “There’s definitely no doubt about it. It’s one of the toughest ones. It broke my heart that I was even put in that position where I felt I had to do it. I will stick by my guns and stay true to the guy that I want to be.”
“I said, ‘Jon, here’s the deal, man. You’re like my little brother. You have to stop drinking and fix these things for a certain period of time until you come back to the gym,'” Winkeljohn continued.
Jones shared his reaction to Winkeljohn’s comments in a since-deleted tweet.
Jones was arrested by Las Vegas Police on Sept. 24 for battery domestic violence and vehicle tampering charges. As he was taken into custody, Jones headbutted an officer’s patrol vehicle and made moderate attempts to resist arrest.
Winkeljohn didn’t go into details in terms of what specifically could allow Jones to eventually return to the team, but it’s certainly a sticky situation all around. Jones has had multiple run-ins with the law over his professional career and hasn’t competed in the UFC since early 2020 amid a contract dispute.
What is your reaction to the latest chapter in the Jon Jones saga?
