Former Strikeforce champion Jacare Souza is coming to the defense of Jon Jones following his recent arrest in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The UFC’s light heavyweight kingpin, Jones, was arrested early Thursday morning following a report of a gunshot in downtown Albuquerque. The police officers who responded to the call found Jones in a running jeep with a firearm. According to the report, ‘Bones’ had marijuana residue on his clothing and also failed a sobriety test.
Fellow pro fighters have had mixed reactions to Jon Jones recent run in with the law. In the case of Jacare Souza, the longtime middleweight standout believes people should be showing “empathy” to Jones during this tough time.
Ronaldo recently took to Twitter where he shared the following statement on Jon Jones:
Everyone is talking about what Jon Jones did.
If he did it he’s already paying the price.
Nobody knows about the battles he fights inside. Have more empathy for people.#bestrongchamp— Ronaldo Jacaré (@JacareMMA) March 28, 2020
“Everyone is talking about what Jon Jones did. If he did it he’s already paying the price. Nobody knows about the battles he fights inside. Have more empathy for people. #bestrongchamp” – Jacare Souza
Other fighters have not been so kind to Jones following his recent arrest. Colby Covington, Dillon Danis, Israel Adesanya, among others, took to social media to blast the champ over his actions.
Jon Jones was most recently seen in action at February’s UFC 247 event in Houston where he scored a narrow decision victory over the previously undefeated Dominick Reyes.
UFC President Dana White had recently announced his intentions to book an immediate rematch between Jones and Reyes. However, that booking is now undoubtedly in question due to this ‘Bones’ new legal case.
Jon Jones has yet to release an official statement on Thursday mornings incident that subsequently led to his arrest. But one can only expect that will come out shortly.
What do you think of Jacare Souza coming to the defense of Jon Jones? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on March 28, 2020