UFC 197 News: Jon Jones Pleads Not Guilty to Drag Racing Charges, Lawyer Says Fighter Was Profiled When Pulled over by Cop
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has pleaded not guilty for the recent drag racing charges that he is currently facing.
"Bones" was involved in another driving misdemeanor on the night of March 24th, when he was pulled over by Albuquerque Police Department officer Jason Brown.
In a report by Bloody Elbow, he was given five traffic citations for drag racing, as well as failure to maintain traffic lane, exhibition driving, use of modification of exhaust systems, and improper display of registration plate.
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This had irritated the 28-year old fighter, who then went on to throw expletives at the police officer, calling the latter a "pig" and an "absolute f****ng liar." The entire heated verbal exchange was caught on the body camera mounted on officer Brown.
On March 29th, Jones was arrested for the violation of his probation from previous driving misdemeanor charges a month ago, specifically for driving without a license, registration, and proof of insurance. In April 2015, he was also involved in a hit-and-run incident, where he hit the vehicle of a pregnant woman while at a red light in Albuquerque.
The said woman suffered a broken arm because of the accident. Jones, meanwhile, was stripped of his UFC title, and was suspended indefinitely. He was reinstated back into the UFC last October.
But as far as his current drag racing case goes, Jones and his legal team are planning to contest the said charges.
In a report by MMA Fighting, Jones' attorney Nancy Hollander spoke during Thursday's hearing for the fighter's probation violation case, where they entered a not guilty plea.
"We intend to fight these traffic violations," Holland said. "We believe that they're bogus. We believe that he was profiled."
Jones is slated to face number six-ranked light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux at the main event of UFC 197 on April 23rd in Las Vegas for the interim light heavyweight title.
He was originally scheduled to face champion Daniel Cormier in a rematch, but the latter was forced out of the bout due to an injury in training.
