Stripped UFC Champ Jon Jones Headed for Plea Deal

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones appears to be headed towards a plea deal over charges resulting from an April hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, N.M.

A spokesperson for the Second District Judicial Court of New Mexico on Monday informed MMAWeekly.com that a Pre-Indictment Plea Hearing has been set before the Honorable Charles W. Brown at the combined request of the prosecution and the defense. The hearing is set for the Second District Judicial Court on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Albuquerque.

A pre-indictment plea is a deal struck between the prosecution and the defense to keep the defendant from going before a Grand Jury, where, if found guilty, Jones would likely face much harsher penalties.

Jones was stripped of his UFC belt following his alleged involvement in a felony hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque on April 27 that left a pregnant motorist injured. He faces a felony charge of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Bodily Harm or Death.

Jones allegedly ran a red light and smashed his rented SUV into a car, which, in turn, smashed into another car. The driver of the car he allegedly smashed into suffered a fractured arm and wrist. Jones then fled the scene on foot, reportedly without so much as checking to see if anyone was injured.

If he doesn’t strike a plea deal, Jones faces the possibility of three years in prison if convicted. There has been no word as to what type of plea bargain might be presented at the Sept. 29 hearing.

If he is able and chooses to return to fighting, UFC president Dana White has publicly stated that Jones would be granted an immediate title shot.

RELATED > Manager Says Jon Jones Might Never Return to UFC

“He comes right back and fights for the title,” White said on The Jim Rome Show in May. “He hasn’t had the time Anderson Silva’s had, but he’s the most dominant champion. If you look at the murderer’s row of the 205-pound division that he went through, and he just went through it like a hot knife through butter, I mean he’s the man. Whenever he gets his stuff together, he can come right back and fight for the title.”