“Put the Phone Down”: Jon Jones’ Series of Cryptic Tweets Sparks Concern Among UFC Fans

It has been an incredibly difficult week for the now former UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.

After almost 20 months of back-and-forth with interim champion Tom Aspinall, Jones finally blinked and waved the white flag. Jones shockingly vacated his title, with Aspinall promoted to heavyweight champion in the process.

Just hours after the revelation, reports claimed that Jones was facing another legal issue. The UFC star is facing accusations of fleeing the scene of a traffic accident in New Mexico. The incident reportedly happened in February.

It only adds to the woes Jones is facing in the aftermath of his title vacation. Fans and journalists have been highly critical of his behavior and attitude towards Aspinall in recent weeks and months.

With his actions essentially putting the heavyweight division on hold, fellow UFC fighters such as Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev even called for either Jones to fight or for the UFC to pull the trigger and strip the longstanding champion.

But in the wake of Jones’ vacation of the title, criticism has seemingly amplified online. While some heavyweights, including Aspinall himself, have looked forward to getting the heavyweight division moving again, many of Jones’ critics have lingered on his decision.

Why now and not five, ten, or even fifteen months ago? Why waste everyone’s time and limit the opportunities of your fellow fighters? The continuous condemnation of Jon Jones seems to have taken its toll, evident in a number of worrying and puzzling posts on X.

Jones posted five cryptic tweets in the space of ten minutes. Intriguingly, they provided a window into the emotional state of the two-division champion. Jones, known for his cool and calculated interviews and promos, is suggesting here that cracks have begun to form in the UFC legend’s psyche.

For many UFC fans, Jones will go down as one of the greatest to ever do it. But to a substantial percentage of the UFC fanbase, that legacy has been severely tarnished by Jones’ recent behavior.

The posts on Jones’ X account led one user to respond immediately with a direct and serious address to the UFC star. “Jon, stay off the drugs and put the phone down,” advised the user.

Jon Jones’ cryptic tweets: What did ‘Bones’ write and what could they be referencing?

The series of tweets began with Jones’ first post vague in its targeting. “If people start getting away with this, it’s gonna start a free-for-all,” it read. The post could have been aimed at his critics but it also could’ve been in relation to the discussion around his reported legal issue.

Following this, Jones posed a more reflective thought on the freedom of social media discourse. “I guess when you have a voice, you should use it.” Jones suggests here that he is growing tired of the endless noise surrounding his professional and personal life this week.

The third and fourth tweets implied that Jones was beginning to come to terms with the scenario. However, this still sparked concern among fans. “Happy retirement to me,” wrote Jones before quickly following up with another curt, cryptic post: “Crazy coincidence.”

Jones seemingly came to a state of full acceptance with his final tweet: “Bob Marley said don’t worry.” The reference to the legendary reggae musician hinted that Jones had come full circle. In a testing week, Jones has gone through the emotional ringer. But he has come out the other side relatively intact, if not a little bruised.