There’s no guarantee we’ll ever see former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones compete in mixed martial arts again.
This according to his manager, Malki Kawa, who told The MMA Hour he thinks there’s a “50/50” chance Jones done fighting for good.
Jones was stripped of his 205-pound title and suspended indefinitely by the UFC after being arrested in Albuquerque, N.M., last month for an alleged hit-and-run that resulted in a pregnant woman breaking her arm. According to police, drugs were also found in the vehicle Jones was said to be driving.
“It could very well be the last time we saw Jon Jones compete inside the Octagon,” Kawa said. “I think Jon Jones is going to focus on Jon Jones. I think he is going to take the time to do whatever he’s got to do. And if this is the last time we’ve seen him fight, it’s the last time we’ve seen him fight. And I’m okay with that…This is life we’re talking about, this is more than a business. He’s my friend. I care about him a lot and I am perfectly fine if he never comes back to the sport again. I am okay with that. He will still go down as the greatest of all time and no one is ever going to convince me otherwise.”
https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/593235515274432512
Following the alleged incident, the 27-year-old had his Reebok endorsement deal terminated and his reputation was further tarnished — this isn’t the first time Jones has been at the centre of controversy — which is something Kawa said isn’t fair.
“People are jumping to a lot of conclusions, we haven’t let things play out and he hasn’t had his day in court,” Kawa said. “I don’t think it’s okay to just hand punishments down like that. But, I do definitely understand where the UFC, sponsors, and everybody is coming from. I can totally understand.
“I’m a firm believer that, whether it’s Jon Jones or any athlete, if they have been accused of doing something, no matter what it looks like or doesn’t look like, I believe that they should have an opportunity to defend themselves first and to have their day in court…But I understand that the court of public opinion sometimes reigns supreme.”
Jones is widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today and many feel he’s the greatest of all-time having never lost a decision or been finished in his 22-fight career.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggested on a recent episode of his popular podcast that some form of brain damage could be affecting Jones’ impulse control.
“I am, without a doubt, not trying to let him off the hook,” Rogan said. “What he did [allegedly] was horrible…I’m incredibly disappointed in him. I think the UFC absolutely did the right thing in stripping him of his title. I think law enforcement is going to do the right thing by putting him in jail. They’re going to. You can’t do that. You can’t hit someone with a car and leave the scene of the crime. It is a crime, but there are things that people do because they have brain damage.
“That’s where the real question comes up is obviously they’re responsible ultimately for their own actions, but what is it that’s responsible for making them do that action?…If the brain is getting damaged and if we have proven that some of the issues with people that have brain damage is impulse control you’ve got to wonder when you see fighters do wild, crazy [expletive], how much of that is due to getting bonked in the [expletive] head all the time?”
Jones was pulled from his scheduled UFC 187 main event fight against top contender Anthony Johnson. Daniel Cormier, the last man to fight Jones, will step in to face Johnson for the now-vacant title on May 23 in Las Vegas.
