UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Saturday morning in upstate New York, his management team confirmed Saturday, shortly after news of the arrest was reported by TMZ.com.
According to the TMZ report, Jones was involved in a car accident at around 5 a.m. in Binghamton, N.Y., near his hometown of Ithaca. TMZ claims that Jones crashed his Bentley into a pole and was arrested on the scene, though those details were not confirmed by his management.
First Round Management, which represents Jones, sent out a statement confirming the arrest and asking for privacy on behalf of the fighter and his family.
"I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI," First Round Management's Malki Kawa said in the statement. "While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time."
There's no word yet as to whether Jones sustained any injuries in the incident, though TMZ reports that he was taken into custody by the Broome County Sheriff and released after his mother posted his bond.
Jones is expected to defend his title against former Strikeforce and Pride champion Dan Henderson at UFC 151 on September 1 in Las Vegas. There's no word yet on whether the arrest and the alleged car accident might interfere with those plans, and the UFC has yet to release a statement on the matter.
Jones last competed at UFC 145 in Atlanta, where he successfully defended his title against former UFC champion Rashad Evans.
Update: According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, Jones was arrested at 5:02 a.m. after suffering "minor injuries" following a one-car accident wherein his car struck a pole. Sheriff's office officials refused to comment on whether there were any passengers in the car with Jones at the time of the accident.
Source: Jon Jones Arrested on Suspicion of DUI in Upstate New York
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