Jon Jones became the UFC heavyweight champion Saturday night in Las Vegas with his fiancee, Jessie Moses, in attendance to support him.
Moses’ appearance likely came as a shock to MMA fans who follow Jones closely given the last time he publicly acknowledged her was in February 2022, when he announced on Twitter that she left him for good shortly after an alleged domestic violence incident at a Las Vegas resort. But there she was in a bright pink business suit kissing Jones before he stepped into the octagon at T-Mobile Arena.
In September 2021, Jones was arrested and booked into jail by Las Vegas police on charges of misdemeanor battery domestic violence and felony injuring and tampering with a vehicle hours after he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s fight wing. According to a police report, Jones left Moses bloodied after he allegedly assaulted her inside a room at Caesars Palace with their three children present. The domestic violence charge was later dropped as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
After Jones’ first-round submission of Ciryl Gane in Saturday’s main event, Moses entered the octagon. Jones gave special thanks to her during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“I want to thank my beautiful fiancee Jessie for being my biggest support,” Jones said. “I love you so much – my biggest supporter.”
Earlier in UFC 285 fight week, Jones declined to address the incident when asked about it at media day. He opened up some during the ESPN+ post-fight show after host Michael Eaves brought up “run-ins with police, including here in Las Vegas,” a reference to the alleged domestic violence against Moses, during a question about returning from a three-year layoff filled with hurdles.
“We all have our past, and thank God that he’s making me the man that I am today,” Jones said. “Me and my family are better than we ever have been. I just thank God so much for him using me to let other people see that none of us are perfect, and that despite your downfalls, the sky is the limit for those who don’t give up, for those who know how to get down on their knees and pray. And I thank God for this platform. It means the world to me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can contact the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
