A slightly panicked UFC president Dana White found out from the press that Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and troubled boxer Ryan Garcia were spotted together.
The boxer and the MMA fighter recorded a selfie video together while taking in the scenes of ‘Noche UFC’ at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
When asking about what Jones had planned for the evening, White said that he was going to be ‘running loose’ around Sin City – before being informed of Jones and Garcia’s video.
‘Oh they’re out tonight? I hope that’s not true,’ a laughing White told the press.
‘Listen, Jon promised me tonight that he’s gonna be good while he’s in Las Vegas, so…’, White added – knocking on the table for good luck before trailing off.
Troubled boxer Ryan Garcia and controversial MMA fighter Jon Jones were seen together at last night’s UFC 306 ‘Noche UFC’ event held at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada
UFC president Dana White let out nervous laughter when hearing of their meeting
Jones and Garcia are a pair of fighters who have had their fair share of controversies and legal issues in the past.
Garcia’s issues have been more recent – having tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and having run-ins with the law.
Back in June, the NYSAC suspended Garcia for one year after his positive tests for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine. The suspension was retroactive to his April 20 majority decision win over Devin Haney, which has since been overturned to a no-contest.
The 25-year-old Garcia also forfeited his purse – disclosed to be $1.2million – and paid a $10,000 fine.
Nearly a month later, on July 4 of this year, Garcia was expelled from the WBC by its president, Mauricio Sulaiman, after the boxer used racial slurs against black people and disparaged Muslims in comments livestreamed on social media.
Garcia’s family released a statement after the suspension, saying, ‘Ryan has been open about his ongoing struggle with mental health over the years and as a family we are committed to ensuring and encouraging that he receives the necessary help to navigate this very challenging time and address both his immediate and long-term well being.’
Sulaiman said that Garcia had declined multiple offers by the WBC to help with his mental health and substance abuse.
In response to that expulsion, Garcia said that he would be checking himself into rehab.
Garcia’s NYSAC suspension came due to a positive drug test after his fight with Devin Haney
Garcia has been involved in a number of controversies throughout this year
Garcia has been having a chaotic summer with multiple controversies in addition to his suspension and expulsion.
That included his hinted move to the UFC – as he called out fighter Sean O’Malley while proposing a bout in the Octagon or a bare-knuckle fight.
Garcia was also charged with vandalism for his actions at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills hotel back in early June.
He was charged with a misdemeanor which carries a maximum sentence of one-year in prison.
Jones, who is set to defend his heavyweight title at UFC 309, is no stranger to controversy
He’s had previous run-ins with the law and has tested positive for drugs multiple times
Jones has also had plenty of issues with drug use and the law.
The UFC Heavyweight Champion previously tested positive for cocaine metabolites as well as anti-estrogen substances, an aromatase inhibitor, and an anabolic steroid.
Jones was also convicted in a hit-and-run in Albuquerque, New Mexico back in 2015 – where he pled guilty to leaving the scene and was sentenced to 18 months supervised probation.
In 2021, Jones pled no contest to charges of domestic battery for allegedly hitting his fiancee, Jessie Moses.
Back in March of 2024, Crystal Martinez – a drug-testing agent from Drug Free Sport – filed a police report saying Jones allegedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her in a visit to his home to conduct a drug test.
Jones pled not guilty to those charges and the trial was postponed from July to August and then again to September 26.
It was announced at ‘Noche UFC’ that Jones would defend his heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 set to be held in mid-November at Madison Square Garden.
