UFC champion Jon Jones charged with two misdemeanors related to incident with drug-testing agent

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been charged with assault and interference with communications related to an incident with a drug-testing agent from Drug Free Sport on March 30. A virtual bond hearing scheduled related to the charges has been scheduled for July 17.

The assault charge is a petty misdemeanor while interference with communications is a misdemeanor. If convicted on both counts, Jones could face less than one year in jail and multiple fines.

A police report was previously filed on April 5. In the report, the agent, Crystal Martinez, alleged that she arrived at Jones’ home in Albuquerque, N.M., to collect a sample for the company, which serves as the UFC’s anti-doping program partner. Martinez and her partner attempted to collect a urine sample, which Jones initially said he could not provide after attempting to do so. After offering to blood test Jones instead, Jones allegedly became agitated and grabbed Martinez’s cell phone and began recording her.

Martinez claimed Jones appeared intoxicated and said that people who come to his house “end up dead.”

“I want to address reports about me allegedly threatening a drug tester’s life and taking a phone, I want to clarify that there is a video showing both drug testers leaving my home after the testing session, where we exchanged a high five and a hug,” Jones wrote on social media after the incident. “Although I was frustrated with the unprofessionalism and used profanity out of frustration, it ended friendly and amicably, nothing threatening at all. I was actually celebrating a friend’s birthday party at my home, and believe it’s perfectly normal to celebrate in the comfort of my own home.

“I must say, this particular tester behaved quite unprofessionally and even breached standard protocol along with HIPAA laws. Throughout my 20 years of being subjected to drug tests, I have never encountered such an incident with a DCO officer before.”

This is just the latest in a slew of legal troubles that have plagued Jones’ spectacular professional fighting career.

Here’s a brief look at Jones’ controversies outside the cage.

• May 2012 — Jones was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing his car into a pole. He later pleaded guilty and his license was suspended for six months.
• January 2015 — Jones failed a drug test ahead of UFC 182 after testing positive for cocaine. Jones was allowed to go ahead with his fight and spent one night in a rehabilitation facility.
• April 2015 — Jones was involved in a hit and run, fleeing the scene of the accident. The UFC stripped Jones of his light heavyweight championship and he eventually pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to supervised probation.
• July 2016 — Jones failed a drug test for two banned substances. As a result, he was pulled from the UFC 200 card. USADA later found that Jones’ results were the result of a contaminated package of erectile dysfunction drug Cialis and he had not knowingly ingested banned substances, though they did suspend Jones for one year. Jones was stripped of the interim light heavyweight title as a result of the failed test.
• August 2017 — Jones failed another drug test, this time for an anabolic steroid. This led to Jones’ knockout win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 being overturned to a no contest. Jones was again stripped of the light heavyweight title as a result. Jones was given a 15-month suspension as a result.
• July 2019 — Jones was charged with battery for an incident involving a cocktail waitress at a strip club months prior. Jones pleaded no contest and was given a 90-day deferred sentence.
• March 2020 — Jones was arrested for DWI after a policeman heard a gunshot and found an intoxicated Jones in his vehicle with an open bottle of alcohol and a handgun. Jones accepted a plea agreement to reduce the charges of aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container and driving with no proof of insurance to just the DWI charge. Jones was sentenced to supervised probation.
• September 2021 — Jones was charged with domestic battery after Jones had allegedly struck his fiancee. After police detained Jones, he headbutted their patrol car and was taken into custody. The domestic battery charges were eventually dropped, though Jones pleaded no contest to the charge of tampering with a police vehicle.