Former UFC champion Jon Jones escaped possible jail time after pleading guilty to felony charges for leaving the scene of an accident last April 28 in Albuquerque.
Instead, Bones will be given up to 18 months of supervised probation and make 72 speaking appearances. Jones stands to avoid a possible felony conviction if he satisfies both without incident.
One thing going for Jones is that in the event that he does satisfy those requirements, there is a chance that his probation could end earlier than the 18 months set by the court.
“Mr. Jones, you got real lucky, and in a number of ways, I think you need to talk to young people because making one stupid decision changes your entire future,” Judge Charles Brown of the Second Judicial District Court said during the former UFC light-heavyweight champion’s hearing.
It was reported back in April that Jones ran a red light on a rented Buick SUV in Albuquerque and eventually hit a car that was driven by a pregnant woman. Jones reportedly fled the scene but returned to his vehicle to grab a handful of cash before running away from the scene once again.
Authorities apparently found MMA memorabilia and paperwork in the abandoned vehicle that linked Jones to the incident. Aside from that, a marijuana pipe (with marijuana), condoms and some snacks were found in the abandoned vehicle.
Jones eventually turned himself in 24 hours after the police issued a warrant for his arrest. The female driver suffered a broken arm from the mishap but has reportedly already recovered from the hit-and-run incident.
When the issue on Jones came out in the open, he was stripped of the MMA light heavyweight title and suspended indefinitely. The title was eventually won by Daniel Cormier when he defeated Anthony Johnson one month after the alleged incident (May, 2015).
Cormier is set to defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 this coming Saturday, October 3 in Houston, Texas, but has been vocal about wanting to face Jones once more.
Apparently, Cormier wants payback for the lone defeat he suffered at the hands of Jones back in January during UFC 182.
“Hopefully on the other side he becomes a better person and he gets back to doing what he does best, and that's fighting. I would love to fight him. I have to get by Alexander Gustafsson first, and then we'll see what happens. But yeah, I would love for it to be Jon Jones next," says Cormier in reaction to the Jones verdict.
For that to happen, however, he must be reinstated first.
“As a result, UFC, through Las Vegas-based law firm Campbell & Williams, will thoroughly review the agreement before discussing Jones’ possible reinstatement to return to competition” in a statement released by the UFC.