Jon Jones Says Latest DWI Arrest Has Set Him Free

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones was arrested and charged with a DWI this past March.

While some look at the bad side of being arrested, it appears that Jones is seeing things differently, as the fighter says that arrest has set him free.

“Right now though, honestly, being involved with the C.A.R.E. project and being detached from the UFC and trolls and all that type of stuff,” Jones said on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! Podcast (via Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting). “This is motivating me way more than a world championship fight. I’ve been winning title fights for so long now, I get what that feels like, I know what the afterparty feels like, I know what it feels like to be called champ and looked at as the greatest fighter forever. I’ve been experiencing these things for so long now that that sh*t doesn’t really tickle me anymore. Changing my life and giving back to other people and having people say thanks for what you did for the city last night and stuff like that, my neighbors look at me like a person that they’re incredibly proud to be neighbors with. That means so much more to me than being a UFC champion and I’m so grateful. I do believe wholeheartedly that the companies that own Bellator and some of these other leagues do have the same amount of financial backing that the UFC had and I do believe that having Jon Jones be the new face of your promotion, especially today when I’m really making an effort really for the first time to get my sh*t somewhat together. I do feel good. My last DWI has done a lot for me. It set me free in so many ways. It embarrassed me. It reality checked me. I’ve never been on camera drunk for the public to see like that. It was humiliating and somewhat of a bottom for me and I’m ready to snap it into high gear.”

Jones was sentenced to 96 hours of community custody, better known as house arrest, one year of supervised probation, 90 days of outpatient therapy and 48 hours of community service after reaching a plea deal following his arrest.

While Jones seems to be thriving in his personal life, something different could be said about Jones’ professional MMA career, as Jones and UFC President Dana White have been feuding since White claimed that Jones wanted too much money for a bout against Francis Ngannou.