Jon Jones Charged with Two Misdemeanors for Incident with Drug-Testing Agent

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a confrontation with a drug-testing agent at his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home earlier this year.

According to online records from Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, Jones has been charged with assault and interference with communications. He is scheduled for a virtual bond hearing at 9:15 a.m. local time on Wednesday, where he will enter a plea and be given conditions for his release. The case will then be set for a bench trial (trial by judge) in 30 to 45 days. Jones could face less than one year in jail as well as a $500 fine for the assault charge and a $1,000 fine for the interference with communications charge. MMAFighting.com was first to report the news.

The case stems from an incident between Jones and agents from Drug Free Sport International (DFSI), the UFC’s new anti-doping partner. According to a police report, the drug-testing agent, who was identified as Crystal Martinez, entered Jones’ home on March 30 to collect a sample as part of the UFC’s anti-doping program. Martinez alleged that Jones was cooperative at first but became agitated when he was unable to initially provide a urine sample. When Martinez suggested taking a blood sample instead, Jones threatened to sue, took her phone and began recording Martinez and her co-worker. According to the report, Jones then put the phone in his pocket and got in Martinez’s face.

Martinez told police she was “terrified” but elected to continue with the drug-testing process because she didn’t want to further anger Jones due to potential penalties from the UFC. Jones was eventually able to provide a urine sample, and Martinez obtained her phone during that period. Martinez texted her boss, who was identified as Pierson Laughlin, regarding her concerns but was unwilling to talk to Laughlin because she was afraid Jones “would attack her if he saw her on the phone.”

Jones, meanwhile, responded with a statement of his own where he denied threatening the agents and said that the encounter ended “friendly and amicably.” Jones admitted to police in statement that he was “bothered” by the arrival of the agents and did use profanity during the sample collection process. However, he reiterated that he never threatened anyone during the incident.

Jones, who is recovering from a torn pectoral suffered last year, is expected to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic later this year, likely at a UFC pay-per-view in New York this November. The UFC ended a partnership with former anti-doping partner USADA last year, continuing its program with new anti-doping partner DFSI at the beginning of 2024.