UFC Responds To ‘100% Inaccurate’ Statement Made By Jon Jones
During his new hour-long interview with Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones discussed the meeting he had with UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC President Dana White after the hit and run incident.
According to Jones, he thinks that if he had told the UFC he’d go through with the fight with Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 that they wouldn’t have stripped him of the belt and suspended him.
“They had never come to see me before. First time they came to Albuquerque to visit me was to take my belt away,” Jones said of their May meeting. “Honestly, Lorenzo seemed like he really did care. Lorenzo seemed very genuine. He looked me in the eyes the whole time and was like, ‘how are you doing?’ At the time I didn’t know how I was feeling, I was all over the place emotionally. At the end of the day, it was still a business meeting – one that definitely wasn’t in my favor.
“They asked me how I was feeling, and I told them I didn’t want to fight. I do feel if I was ready to fight; I wouldn’t have gotten suspended, and my belt stripped away. I didn’t fight for it. I have nothing to prove, that belt doesn’t solidify who I am as a fighter. I needed the break, man. The pressure that I put on myself and the level I was fighting at … to get away from that belt for a while really set me free. Today I feel great.”
The UFC issued the following statement on Jones’ claim (via MMA Fighting):
Jones’ claim is “100 percent inaccurate” and the decision to strip him of the title was made before a meeting between Jones and the organization ever took place. The official said that execs flew to Albuquerque to offer their support, as well as inform him of their decision to strip him of the belt face to face. The UFC official added that the organization stayed in close communication with Jones, his manager and his publicist throughout the legal process. Execs also flew down to Albuquerque the day of Jones’ plea hearing and attended the court proceedings.”
