UFC: Light Heavyweight Champ Jon Jones Facing Battery Charge For Strip Club Incident

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is facing a battery charge stemming from an April incident at a New Mexico strip club, according to KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque. Coincidentally, through a spokesman, Jones said Monday he was unaware of the potential legal trouble until the news station informed him of the pending charge. The 32-year-old mixed martial arts icon later downplayed the severity of the situation in a series of messages on Twitter.

Jones reportedly paid a $300 cash bond Sunday after a warrant was issued following his failure to appear. He was not arrested when he paid the bond, and it is unclear if a future court date was set.

Jones is two weeks removed from defending his title against a determined Thiago Santos at UFC 239. The split-decision victory moved his record to 25-1 with one no contest. Once the news broke of the pending charge, the fighter quickly responded to critics on social media.

"I know there's a whole bunch of people hoping for my downfall, but there's even more who are proud of me and love seeing me do well," Jones tweeted. "I love this community … excited to keep climbing. The haters going to be mad when I win in December."

The woman told Albuquerque police that Jones put her in a chokehold and picked her up off the ground, according to news station. When she asked Jones to stop, she said Jones continued touching her until he decided to leave. The alleged incident took place at TD's Eubank Showclub in Albuquerque. Jones lives and trains in New Mexico's most populated city.

Jones is universally considered in the conversation for greatest fighter to ever set foot in the octagon, but he also has had a slew of problems outside of it. He is the only UFC champion to be stripped of a title on three separate occasions.

Jones pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run charges in 2015 and received probation and community service. In the two years that followed, Jones was twice suspended by USADA, serving suspensions of 12 and 15 months. In 2016, he was pulled over for drag racing and launched a profanity-laced tirade at the officer.