ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two misdemeanor charges accusing him of being hostile during a drug test at his New Mexico home.
During the virtual hearing, Jones sat next to his lawyers who made arguments on his behalf. An Albuquerque judge granted the lawyers' request that Jones remain free until he faces trial on charges of assault and interference with communications related to the March testing session.
Jones has vowed to fight the allegations. When the allegations first came out publicly he said they were unfounded and posted on social media that he was surprised by the unprofessional behavior of one of the testers, admitting he became frustrated and swore.
“However, I want to emphasize that at no time did I make any threats, attack anyone in the face, yell at anyone or engage in any form of violence,” Jones said in a social media post.
Considered one of the top mixed martial artists in the country, Jones won the heavyweight title over a year ago with a first-round submission victory over Ciril Gane. It was Jones' first fight in three years and his first at heavyweight. Jones was already the best fighter in the light heavyweight division with a record 14 title wins.
Jones was suspended for one year after failing a drug test in 2016 and his 2017 win over Daniel Cormier was ruled a no contest after a positive drug test. Jones later argued that he would have passed the test under the United States Anti-Doping Agency's revised criteria for a positive test in 2019.
The woman, who worked for Drug Free Sport International, a company that tests professional athletes, first filed a police report in April, alleging that Jones had threatened her, taken her cell phone and yelled abuse at her while she and a colleague were taking a drug test at his home.
The criminal complaint states that a drug tester said Jones was initially cooperative but became agitated.
Jones told police he thought it was his phone and apologized for swearing at the agent and his coworker at the end of the search. He posted footage from what appears to be his home camera system, which shows him high-fiving the agent before he leaves. Neither man appeared to be intimidated during the interaction, Jones said.
