UFC star Jon Jones launches tirade against former coach after being banned from gym

Mike Winkeljohn banned Jones from the Jackson Wink gym in September after the former champion’s arrest on a domestic violence charge

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has labelled his former coach Mike Winkeljohn a “miserable b*****d” after being banned from the Jackson Wink gym.

In late September, Jones was arrested on a domestic violence charge – the latest in a string of encounters with the law.

Following the American’s arrest in Las Vegas, his former coach Winkeljohn banned Jones from the Jackson Wink gym, where Jones has trained for the majority of his UFC career.

At the time, Winkeljohn called the decision to ban Jones “one of the toughest” to make, adding: “It broke my heart that I was even put in that position where I felt I had to do it.”

Jones has shown little understanding for Winkeljohn’s decision, and in a series of since-deleted tweets on Wednesday, the 34-year-old wrote: “Coach Wink goes on national TV and says he wants the best for me, and then behind the scenes harassing the other coaches for continuing to work with me. Miserable b*****d.

“I didn’t leave the gym because I couldn’t handle punishment, I left the gym because I wasn’t training with [him] anymore anyways. This man hasn’t taught students a new technique since I met him.

“What type of friend gets on TV and airs his ‘brother’s’ dirty laundry. This was his opportunity to take the moral high ground over someone who [put] trust in him. He didn’t give two s**** about what actually happened that night. Anything for some publicity.

“If I was such a monster, he wouldn’t still be trying to monetize off me being a former student there. There’s a Jon Jones poster on almost every wall of the building.”

In April 2020, Jones pleaded guilty to his second drunken-driving offence, having been arrested on suspicion of aggravated DWI, negligent use of firearms, possession of an open container of alcohol, and no proof of insurance for a vehicle.

In 2015, Jones pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident following a hit-and-run crash in Albuquerque that left a pregnant woman injured. Under a plea agreement, he avoided jail time and was ordered to serve up to 18 months of supervised probation.

The 2015 incident saw Jones stripped of the UFC light heavyweight title, which he would win back in 2017 before once again having the belt taken from him – this time for his third of four failed drug tests with the promotion. Jones recaptured the light heavyweight championship in 2018 but vacated it in 2020 and has not fought since, despite targeting a move up to heavyweight.

Continuing his rant against Winkeljohn, Jones wrote: “Wink suspending me from the team changed absolutely nothing for me. I’m still working with the exact same coaches on the same schedule we have been on for the last two years.

“Just don’t go on TV and pretend to give a s*** about someone, who has made you so much money over the years, giving you so many world championships and then behind closed doors secretly try to crush them. Real d****e move Mike.

“Mike the other coaches are not employed by you, they literally work out of your building. You tax them on their flights, I’m trying to put money in these men’s pocket.

“You trying to tell them who they can and cannot work with outside of your building is bizarre.”