Jon Jones stripped of light heavyweight title, suspended by UFC

**Minnesota Dabs** · 04-28-2015

https://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/12...-suspended-ufc

Jon Jones was stripped of the UFC light heavyweight title Tuesday following his alleged hit-and-run over the weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Jon Jones had been the light heavyweight champion since March 2011, defending the title eight times. Brandon Magnus/Getty Images
UFC also announced that Jones would be suspended indefinitely.

"He's very disappointed. He's upset. He wanted to go down as one of the greats or the greatest," UFC president Dana White said on "Fox Sports Live" of Jones. "He's disappointed, but it is what it is. It is the decision we had to make.

"For us to go in and have to strip him of his title and suspend him is not fun, but you know what they say: The show must go on."

Daniel Cormier will replace Jones and face Anthony Johnson on May 23 at UFC 187 in Las Vegas. The fight will be for the light heavyweight title.

The 27-year-old Jones has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injuries. He was taken into custody Monday night and released shortly after on $2,500 bond.

He made his first court appearance related to the case Tuesday.

Jones willingly turned himself in to Albuquerque police Monday after an off-duty police officer identified him fleeing the scene of a three-car accident, which occurred after the vehicle Jones was allegedly driving ran a red light and collided into another car. Witnesses said a man fitting Jones' description ran away from the car, stopped and returned to grab a "large handful of cash" before fleeing.

The driver of the car that was first hit, a 25-year-old pregnant woman, suffered a fractured arm and wrist, according to police reports.

On Tuesday night, Jones sent out an apologetic tweet, his first since the weekend incident.

__________________________________________________ __________________________________

@Wyo @arunforce rektttttttt