Jon Jones’ recent announcement of retirement coincided closely with reports of a new criminal charge, sparking widespread speculation within the MMA world. However, analyst Jimmy Smith has clarified that Jones’ decision to retire is not connected to the February 2025 misdemeanor allegation of fleeing the scene of an accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Clarifying the Connection Between Retirement and Legal Troubles
In a conversation on Submission Radio, Jimmy Smith addressed the rumors linking Jones’ retirement to his legal issues. He suggested that Jones typically uses upcoming fights to shift focus away from personal troubles, stating:
“My perspective really is, [Jones] is less likely to retire because of that. Meaning, as I said, he’s always been able to kind of refocus everybody on his fight coming up or fight he just had whenever he’s in trouble. So, I think if he had gotten in trouble a week ago, he doesn’t retire. Because he’s like, ‘A crap, now I got to turn things around and get people on my side or whatever.’ Now, he doesn’t have that option.”
Smith emphasized that the timing of Jones’ retirement seems independent from his recent legal challenge. He continued to explain the fighter’s mindset by saying:
“I don’t believe it’s, ‘I got in trouble, so I’m retiring.’ I think it’s the other way around, where he’s more likely to come back because he got in trouble… I do believe, honestly, that they’re unrelated because getting in trouble just made him fight more.”
Jones is currently scheduled to appear in court for a bond arraignment on July 24, as the legal process unfolds in New Mexico.
Former UFC Fighter Shares Thoughts on Jones’ Ongoing Legal Issues
Jon Jones has a history of legal problems and controversial actions, including several DUI arrests and hit-and-run incidents. In response to the latest charges, former UFC competitor Corey Anderson reflected on Jones’ 2015 hit-and-run involving a pregnant woman, highlighting the persistent nature of these issues.
On social media platform X, Anderson expressed his frustration, posting:
“Everytime I see something like this, I reflect back to when I was in the UFC and he was just getting cleared from the hit and run of the pregnant lady, and I was calling him out for it. And everyone came at me about “people make mistakes”.. now 7 years later.. still a mistake?”
Jones had pleaded guilty to the 2015 hit-and-run case and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation, but the impact of that incident continues to be felt within the fighting community.
The Importance of Separating Retirement from Legal Troubles
The clarification from Jimmy Smith provides valuable perspective on Jon Jones’ current situation, discouraging assumptions that his retirement is reactionary to recent legal charges. Separating these two events helps maintain a clearer understanding of Jones’ career decisions amid a turbulent history. How this will influence his future—whether he returns to competition or fully steps away—remains to be seen, especially as his legal case progresses.