Former UFC champ Jon Jones due back in court Sept. 29
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is scheduled to return to an Albuquerque, N.M., courtroom on Sept. 29 for a plea hearing stemming from an April incident in which he allegedly fled from the scene of an accident.
Jones was stripped of the title and suspended indefinitely after he was arrested for the hit-and-run that left a woman with a broken wrist. The 28-year-old ran a red light in a rented SUV and left the scene after hitting two vehicles. According to witness statements, he returned to the car to grab cash from the front seat before fleeing again.
Marijuana was found in a pipe in Jones’ car.
Jones is facing a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving great bodily harm or death, but the pre-indictment plea hearing could signify his attorneys have struck a deal with prosecutors.
* FEDOR RETURNS — After weeks of teasing his return to competition, possibly even to make his long-awaited UFC debut, Fedor Emelianenko announced Saturday night he would help launch a new Japanese organization with a New Year’s Eve bout in Tokyo.
Emelianenko revealed the news during a Bellator Fighting Championships broadcast. No opponent has been named.
The organization will be run by former PRIDE Fighting president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Emelianenko rose to fame as that league’s heavyweight champion.
The event will air on Spike TV.
* CEJUDO TO BOYCOTT NEVADA — Undefeated UFC flyweight prospect Henry Cejudo revealed through his manager his intention to never fight in Nevada due to what he believes to be an unfair penalty handed down to Nick Diaz by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
The NAC last week suspended Diaz five years for his third marijuana-related offense.
“I am absolutely appalled at how the NAC handled the Nick Diaz matter. The issue here is not the magnitude of the penalties assessed to Nick Diaz, it is the process, or lack thereof, in determining Nick Diaz’s guilt or innocence,” the letter from Bill McFarlane read, in part. “The NAC decision does not appear to be based on fact or evidence, but on emotional arrogance.
“I sincerely hope that the UFC enters the dialogue on this issue. If not publicly, then privately. It is very unfortunate, but I feel it’s prudent to let the UFC know that Henry Cejudo will not be fighting in Nevada. I simply have no confidence that the NAC can manage a fair and credible testing process, or will act in a fair and unbiased manner.
“Others may want to roll the dice in Nevada, but I for one do not feel the NAC is capable of conducting itself in a manner consistent with their mission statement, appropriate enforcement of existing regulations, conducting business in a fair and unbiased manner, or the exercise of due process in their enforcement actions.”
Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, is scheduled to fight Jussier Formiga in Monterrey, Mexico, on Nov. 21.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj