UFC 197 headliner Jon Jones agrees to plea deal; judge doesn’t impose curfew

After his latest traffic infraction, former UFC champion Jon Jones will need the permission of his probation officer to use a motor vehicle.

Things will be worse if Jones finds himself in trouble again, a judge for the Bernalillo County (N.M.) District Court today told the former UFC light-heavyweight titleholder.

“Jon, if you do come back here, it won’t go well,” the judge Michael Martinez said.

Jones, 28, agreed to a plea deal that requires him to compete a driver-improvement course, enroll in an anger-management course and complete 60 additional hours of community service after he picked up five traffic citations this past Thursday for drag racing, exhibition driving, weaving, failing to properly display his license plate, and modifying his exhaust pipe.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office hoped to implement a nighttime curfew on Jones, forbidding him from leaving the house between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. unless for “employment purposes.” But the judge instead issued an order that requires Jones to get permission to drive.

Although the citations Jones picked up this past week are not serious offenses, he was still on supervised probation from a hit-and-run accident this past April that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm. A plea agreement this past September allowed him to avoid jail by giving 72 public speaking engagements. As part of his agreement, he was also required not to break any laws.

Jones was arrested on Tuesday on the grounds that he violated his probation and held was held in Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Detention Center without bail until his hearing. He appeared in an orange jumpsuit and answered in the affirmative when the judge asked him if he wanted the plea agreement.

Jones’ court rep implored the judge to consider Jones’ sobriety during the traffic stop this past Thursday and said his team intends to fight the “bogus” charges, accusing the officer of profiling the ex-champ.

A lapel video shot by Albuquerque police officer Jason Brown shows a heated confrontation with Jones, who denies drag racing calls him a “liar” and a “pig” (watch it above). In a subsequent interview, Jones admitted he let his emotions get the best of him and apologized.

In the plea agreement submitted to the court, it is noted “Jones used very abusive language towards the citing officer, and expressed a significant amount of anger and resentment regarding his citations.”

Jones’ attorney noted his upcoming title fight at UFC 197 against champ Daniel Cormier (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and argued a curfew would be a harsh punishment. She said Jones (21-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) needed to train late at night and added, “If it’s 10, he can’t even take his wife to watch a movie.”

The district attorney’s office countered that Jones’ repeated issues with motor vehicles was concerning and argued that if he weren’t able to drive at night, he had less chance of getting into trouble.

Jones’ recent traffic incident was his second while serving probation. This past month, he was given a trio of citations for not having proper driving documents. For that, he received one day of community service.

Today’s agreement leaves Jones free to compete in UFC 197’s pay-per-view headliner, which takes place April 23 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

For more on UFC 197, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.