A little scared, UFC president Dana White learned from the press that Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and troubled boxer Ryan Garcia were seen together.
The boxer and MMA fighter recorded a selfie video together while enjoying the scenes of ‘UFC Night’ at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
When asked what Jones had planned for the night, White said he was going to be “running loose” around Sin City, before being informed of the video of Jones and Garcia.
“Oh, they’re out tonight? I hope not,” White told reporters with a laugh.
“Listen, Jon promised me tonight that he’d behave while he’s in Vegas, so…” White added, banging the table for good luck before falling silent.
Boxer Ryan Garcia and controversial MMA fighter Jon Jones were spotted together at UFC 306 ‘UFC Night’ event held last night at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC President Dana White let out a nervous laugh upon hearing of their meeting.
Jones and Garcia are a pair of fighters who have had their share of controversies and legal problems in the past.
Garcia’s troubles have been more recent: he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and had run-ins with the law.
In June, the NYSAC suspended Garcia for one year after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance ostarine. The suspension was retroactive to his April 20 majority decision win over Devin Haney, which has since been overturned and declared a no-decision.
Garcia, 25, also lost his purse (revealed to be worth $1.2 million) 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 broadcast live 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 he receives the help necessary to navigate this very challenging time and address both his immediate and long-term well-being.”
Sulaiman said Garcia had turned down multiple offers from the WBC to help him with his mental health and substance abuse.
In response to the expulsion, Garcia said he would check into a rehabilitation center.
Garcia’s suspension from NYSAC came due to a positive drug test after his fight with Devin Haney
Garcia has been involved in a series 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 hint at a move to the UFC, when he called up fighter Sean O’Malley and proposed a fight in the Octagon or a bare-knuckle fight.
Garcia was also charged with vandalism for his actions at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills hotel in early June.
He was charged with a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.
Jones, who will defend his heavyweight title at UFC 309, is no stranger to controversy.
He has had trouble with the law before and has tested positive for drugs several times.
Jones has also had many problems 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 of a hit-and-run in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2015, where he pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation.
In 2021, Jones pleaded guilty to domestic battery charges for allegedly beating his fiancée, Jessie Moses.
In March 2024, Crystal Martinez, a drug testing agent for Drug Free Sport, filed a police report saying Jones allegedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her during a visit to her home to conduct a drug test.
Jones pleaded not guilty to those charges and the trial was postponed from July to August and then again to September 26.
It was announced on ‘UFC Night’ that Jones will defend his heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 taking place in mid-November at Madison Square Garden.