Shortly after UFC president Dana White announced Jon Jones’s retirement from mixed martial arts, reports surfaced regarding a legal issue Jones is facing. He has been charged with leaving the scene of a traffic accident in New Mexico that occurred in February. Jones is set to appear in court on July 24 for arraignment regarding this misdemeanor.

The police responded to the crash, where a woman in one of the cars claimed that Jones had fled the scene on foot. When contacted by police, Jon reportedly sounded intoxicated and made alarming comments. He later mentioned that the woman had left his house inebriated before the incident, and she later confirmed this, stating that Jones was the last person she remembered driving her car.

Legal challenges have marred Jones’s storied career, a regime littered with suspensions and title vacating due to various controversies including drug tests and a hit-and-run case. His lawyer, Christopher Dodd, has publicly denounced the charges as unfounded and indicative of improper targeting by the police.

Dodd asserted, “In my extensive career, I’ve seldom seen a case as peculiar or unjustified. Jon was not driving; he was not even in the vehicle. It seems an inebriated woman tried to deflect blame from herself onto Jon to avoid DUI charges, and the police fell for it.” He further criticized the police for pursuing a warrant for Jon’s phone records in what should be a simple traffic matter.

Jones is celebrated as one of the greatest mixed martial artists, holding a record of 28 wins, one loss, and one no-contest since 2008. His announcement of retirement included the confirmation that interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is now the undisputed champion, a move that transpired amid mounting tensions around Jones’s career decisions.