Jon Jones' latest arrest is more about his past than his present

It’s weird that, of all the vehicular misdeeds in Jon Jones’ past, the one that would end up looking the most forgivable is the one where he sits in a white Corvette, jabbing his finger at a police officer as he accuses him of being a liar and a “pig.”

Maybe that tells us something about his record behind the wheel, which includes everything from driving under the influence to literally running from the scene of an accident that injured a pregnant woman.

Or maybe it tells us something about what it takes to get us regular people to identify with and relate to a rich and famous former UFC light heavyweight champion.

His latest troubles stem from an encounter with police in Albuquerque, N.M., last week, when he was pulled over and accused of “drag racing” after – according to him – revving his engine to acknowledge fans at a stop light. Jones didn’t care for that accusation, and he said as much to the cop who did the accusing and wrote him five citations, even if he used a few words that he didn’t learn in church to get his point across.

When it went from TMZ-worthy curiosity to a real concern is when a judge issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of a probation violation, putting Jones back behind bars, however briefly, and once again with a big fight on the horizon.

If you just saw the version of the story put forth in headlines – Jones arrested again, and after yet another incident involving bad judgment and something on four wheels – you could be forgiven for jumping to conclusions.

But this is an incident that doesn’t include the usual staples of a “Bones” Jones moving violation. No alcohol or drugs. No violent collisions. Not even a violation of the posted speed limit. Instead he was cited for drag racing, exhibition driving, weaving, failing to properly display his license plate, and modifying his exhaust pipe, according to Albuquerque police.

In other words, a range of offenses that cover stuff you absolutely shouldn’t do (drag racing, for instance, even if he supposedly did it without breaking the speed limit, making him the worst drag racer of all time) to stuff you could almost always be accused of doing (simply getting behind the wheel of a Corvette goes a long way toward “exhibition driving” in some people’s eyes).

If Jones’ nemesis, Daniel Cormier, had been pulled over for the same offenses, it’d be a non-story. Then again, Cormier’s not on probation. He’s also probably less likely to call an officer of the law a “(expletive) liar.”

That’s the part of the story that initially made this encounter news, in the released video footage sense of the word. Instead of embracing his right to remain silent, Jones – after verifying that he was being recorded by the police officer’s body camera – launched into a pointless, profane tirade.

Somehow, this failed to convince the cop to tear up the tickets and forget the whole thing.

That aspect of the incident reminds us that Jones still has some growing up to do. As much as we’ve all wanted to turn a traffic stop into our own personal soapbox at times, most of us resist the urge, if only because we know it will solve nothing.

But after watching the video of the full encounter, I have to admit that somewhere in Jones’ indignant rant is the ring of truth. As dumb and indefensible as drag racing on city streets might be, it also seems here like a matter of opinion. Jones objected strenuously (and petulantly) to the accusation, maybe because he felt like he couldn’t do much else about it.

And while the temptation is to view this as more proof that the man who may very well be the world’s greatest fighter is also his own worst enemy, that seems like a flawed conclusion here.

Jones’ current troubles appear to be mostly a result of his past actions. If he hadn’t earned such a reputation as a menace behind the wheel, and if he hadn’t put himself into a position where a minor traffic stop could land him in jail, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

In that alternate reality, it’s at least debatable whether Albuquerque police officers would have their eyes quite so peeled for this particular motorist. (And call me crazy, but I don’t think cursing out one of their own is going to get him much slack in future encounters with local law enforcement.)

This time, at least, we’re not talking about Jones making all the same mistakes and learning none of the lessons. This time we’re talking more about the sins of his past running up against the realities of his present. That’s when you might want to be extra careful, if you’re Jones, before it starts to have a real impact on your future.

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