UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested based on allegations that he assaulted and threatened a drug testing agent during a surprise test conducted at his home in Albuquerque. The incident involved a complaint from Crystal Martinez, the drug-test sample collection worker, who claimed that Jones behaved unprofessionally and made threatening remarks during the test. Jones admitted to being frustrated, but denied any threats and said the encounter ended amicably. Martinez reported feeling unsafe during the incident, prompting her to push for charges to be filed against the fighter, despite initial discouragement from her supervisor.
During the test, Jones allegedly made threats about people ending up dead if they arrive at his home too early, and appeared hostile and aggressive towards Martinez and her colleague. The situation escalated when Jones started recording the interaction on Martinez’s phone without her consent. Martinez reported feeling fearful for her safety and wanted to discontinue the session, but was concerned about potential fines from UFC. Jones eventually provided a urine sample after initially struggling to produce one, and Martinez informed her boss of the situation.
Jones disputed Martinez’s account, insisting that he never threatened her and that any offensive language used was a result of frustration with the situation. He also accused Martinez of being unhappy due to his use of profanity during the test. Jones was issued a summons to appear in court for allegations of assault and interfering with communications, but did not appear to be taken into custody or booked following the incident. This is not the first time Jones has faced legal trouble, as he has previously been involved in hit-and-run incidents, domestic battery charges, and doping violations.
In response to the incident, UFC announced that Drug Free Sport International would be conducting “no-notice sample collections” for its athletes under a new anti-doping policy. The league described Drug Free Sport International as a global leader in the anti-doping industry, conducting similar sample collections for other major sports organizations such as MLB, NFL, NASCAR, PGA, and NCAA. The incident involving Jones highlights the challenges faced by athletes in complying with strict drug testing protocols and the potentially serious consequences of failing to do so. Jones has faced multiple legal and disciplinary issues throughout his career, raising questions about his future in the sport.
