Jon Jones Pleads Not Guilty to Misdemeanor Charges Related to Drug-Testing Incident

Jon Jones has pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an encounter with a drug-testing agent at his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home earlier this year.

During a virtual hearing in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Wednesday, Jones pleaded not guilty to a petty misdemeanor for assault and a misdemeanor for interference with communications. Jones was in attendance with attorney Christopher Dodd, while Judge Brittany Maldonado was in charge of the hearing.

A date for a bench trial is still yet to be determined. The conditions for Jones’ release until said date are as follows: Jones is not allowed to possess any firearms or dangerous weapons, he’s not allowed to possess or consume any alcohol or illegal drugs, he has to notify the court if his address changes and he has to maintain contact with his attorney. Additionally, Jones must avoid contact with the alleged victims in the case.

If Jones is convicted on both charges, he could face less than a year in jail and fines totaling $1,500. 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.