UFC champ Jon Jones agrees to anger management classes to resolve assault charge

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — UFC heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones has agreed to attend 4 hours of anger administration courses to resolve a pair of misdemeanor prices stemming from a drug take a look at at his New Mexico residence during which he was accused of being hostile.

A bench trial was set to start Tuesday earlier than a New Mexico choose, however a prosecutor and Jones’ protection lawyer introduced initially of the digital continuing that an settlement had been reached.

The fees of assault, a petty misdemeanor, and interference with communication, a misdemeanor, will probably be dismissed as alongside as Jones completes the anger administration courses and follows all legal guidelines over the following 90 days.

Jones had pleaded not responsible in July, and when the allegations first grew to become public earlier this yr, he referred to as them baseless. He posted on social media that he had been taken off guard by what he referred to as the unprofessionalism of one of many testers and acknowledged cursing after getting annoyed.

Thought-about one of many prime MMA fighters, Jones took the heavyweight title with a first-round submission over Ciryl Gane in March 2023. It was Jones’ first struggle in three years and his first within the heavyweight division. He already was one of the best mild heavyweight by successful a document 14 title fights.

Jones will face Stipe Miocic in UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at New York’s Madison Sq. Backyard. He and Miocic had been scheduled to struggle final yr, however a pectoral harm pressured Jones to postpone.

In 2016, Jones was suspended for a yr for a failed drug take a look at and had his 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier became a no-contest after one other drug take a look at got here up optimistic. Jones argued later that he would have handed below requirements that had been revised in 2019 by the U.S. Anti-Doping Company, which modified the factors for what constituted a optimistic take a look at.

A lady who labored for Drug Free Sport Worldwide, which conducts exams for skilled athletes, initially filed a report with Albuquerque police in April. She accused Jones of threatening her whereas she and a colleague had been at Jones’ residence for a drug take a look at.

A felony grievance said that the lady described Jones as cooperative at first however that he grew to become agitated.

Jones instructed police that he apologized for swearing on the girl and her co-worker on the finish of the take a look at. He offered video from what seemed to be a house digicam system displaying the lady giving him a high-five earlier than leaving. He stated neither appeared scared in the course of the interplay.