Jones enters plea deal, domestic violence charge dismissed

The domestic violence charge against Jon Jones was dismissed after the UFC star agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors.

Jones pleaded nolo contendere to misdemeanor destroying the property of another Tuesday, according to court records accessed by ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

Jones won't serve jail time but must pay a $750 restitution fee to the victim, "stay out of trouble," and attend counseling for anger management, Raimondi notes.

The 34-year-old was arrested in September on initial charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and felony injuring or tampering with a vehicle in Las Vegas. The first charge was dropped as part of the plea deal and the second was reduced to a misdemeanor.

Nolo contendere, also known as no contest, is a plea in which a defendant accepts a conviction without admitting guilt.

Jones was arrested in the early morning of Sept. 24 outside the Caesars Palace resort on the Las Vegas Strip, according to the arrest report. After he was taken into custody, Jones smashed his head into the front hood of a police car, denting the vehicle and chipping some of its paint. This led to the initial felony charge.

Police were called to the hotel after a security guard noticed blood on the lips and clothing of Jones' fiancee, Jessie Moses, per the report. She told officers that Jones touched the back of her head and pulled her hair "a little bit," but did not hit her.

Police observed blood on Moses' shirt and around her lips and chin, and a bump on her lip. They also observed blood on the bedsheets in Jones and Moses' hotel room.

Jones told police he didn't touch Moses and reiterated that sentiment in the weeks following his arrest.

Longtime coach Mike Winkeljohn temporarily barred Jones from training at Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the wake of his legal troubles. Jones has continued to work with several other coaches from Jackson Wink MMA but has said he won't return to that gym.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has also said he's quit drinking alcohol.

He hasn't stepped into the Octagon since a February 2020 title defense against Dominick Reyes. Jones relinquished his 205-pound belt in August 2020 to move up to the heavyweight division, but a financial dispute with the UFC has kept him sidelined.

Jones, who could face the winner of the January heavyweight title bout between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, said last week he wants to return to the cage in April or July.