Ex-UFC Fighter Opens Up About Parting Ways With Jon Jones Over Lifestyle Choices

In the wake of a damaging week for now former UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, a UFC legend and former ally of ‘Bones’ has discussed their brief friendship while both fighting in Dana White’s promotion.

Last weekend at UFC Baku, White revealed that Jones had retired from MMA, vacating his title in the process. The decision comes after growing criticism from fans and fellow fighters over his consistent ducking of interim champion Tom Aspinall. The British fighter first gained #1 contender status in November 2023 and has been chasing Jones ever since.

Now that Jones has vacated the title and left the promotion, fans are questioning why it took him so long to make the decision. The stagnation caused by the departing champion hasn’t just affected Aspinall. It has had consequences for the rest of the division, blocking many potential opportunities over the last 20 months.

To add further misery, just hours after White’s revelation at UFC Baku, Jones has reportedly been hit with another legal issue. The two-division champ allegedly fled the scene of a traffic accident in New Mexico in February.

Jones has been previously suspended and stripped of his UFC light heavyweight title as a result of similar controversies. And following on from a series of cryptic tweets shared earlier today by Jones, a former friend and UFC alum has provided a telling insight into their friendship. The fighter also revealed how Jones’ behavior brought that once-strong friendship to an end.

Derek Brunson wrote a lengthy post on X discussing the time he spent with Jon Jones during the early years of their UFC tenures. The post provided an interesting insight into Jones’ character and how that’s affected by his lifestyle choices.

“Jon Jones and I use to hang out just about every day when I was in town from 2011-2014,” revealed Brunson. “One night we went out and I said to him ‘bro why are you doing all of this, let’s just hang out with the ladies and have fun, the extra stuff isn’t needed, they’re already here with us.’ He looked at me and said ‘I don’t need a dad I need a friend.’ This was the last time we hung out. I couldn’t sit back and watch. I have to be honest with my friends.”

Derek Brunson: Life after the UFC

Derek Brunson made his name in Strikeforce, ultimately moving to the UFC when White’s promotion purchased and closed Strikeforce in 2011. Brunson met Jones shortly after, who was at this point three years into his UFC career. While Brunson never captured UFC gold, he enjoyed a long, successful career.

The American has won 24 fights. Former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Kevin Holland are among some of his biggest scalps.

Brunson left the UFC in 2023 and made his PFL debut a few months later, winning against Ray Cooper III. Brunson was set to feature in the Global Fight League’s inaugural event last month before all events were cancelled indefinitely.

Derek Brunson has spoken about the positives and negatives of his personal and professional relationship with Jones. At its peak, Brunson spoke of the confidence that Jones instilled in him when they trained together at Jackson Wink MMA. That influence was clearly positive early on, as Brunson racked up seven wins in his first eight UFC fights.

However, as his revealing tweet suggests, Jones’ personal demons were too much for Brunson to handle. Their UFC stardom had clearly made the two fighters very popular. However, that seemingly wasn’t enough for Jones, who has struggled with legal issues and failed drug tests in the past.

While Brunson’s achievements haven’t matched those of Jones, his longevity has trumped the two-division champion. Jones, 37, has hung up his gloves amid a long period of sporadic appearances. He also seems to be struggling with the weight of that decision and his unchecked personal issues. Brunson, now 41, shows no signs of slowing down. It remains to be seen what else he can achieve in his new home, the PFL.