UFC Star Stops Two Wannabe Vandals in Their Tracks
One of the UFC’s toughest fighters muscled around a pair of apparent vandals in a video he posted on social media Sunday.
Jon “Bones” Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, did his part to prevent vandalism of his native Albuquerque, New Mexico, without even throwing a punch or a knee.
While many Americans watched helplessly as their cities were debased, Jones demonstrated that the world is his Octagon.
Unrest across the country has led to the utter destruction of property, the desecration of public spaces, untold injuries and at least one fatal shooting as many demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have grown into full-blown riots.
KRQE-TV reported some businesses in downtown Albuquerque were damaged as Sunday’s protest became violent.
Jones, who is black, wouldn’t stand idly by as malicious behavior occurred in the city.
In a video he posted on Instagram, Jones used his presence alone to confiscate cans of spray paint from masked vandals, who appeared to be white.
“Give me the spray can,” the 6-foot-4, 205-pound fighter said repeatedly to one the vandals.
After forcing one of the pair to surrender a can of spray paint, Jones set his sights on the other, who at first refused the command to hand it over.
“Give me the spray,” he then demanded of the second masked troublemaker.
With little pushback, the would-be vandal gave up the can, and Jones snatched it and walked away.
“Is this s— even about George Floyd anymore?!? Why the f— are you punk a– teenagers destroying our cities!??” the 32-year-old commented on his Instagram post.
“As a young black man trust me I’m frustrated as well but this is not the way, we are starting to make a bad situation worse,” Jones wrote.
“If you really got love for your city (505), protect your s—. All you old heads need to speak up, call your young family members and tell them to come home tonight.”
WARNING: The following post contains vulgar language that some may find offensive.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA4ZUtPltOD/
The video was posted hours after Jones announced he would not seek to defend his light heavyweight belt.
“Bones out, when you see me in the streets just call me JJ,” he wrote in a tweet posted Sunday afternoon.
Bones out, when you see me in the streets just call me JJ ??
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 31, 2020
Jones then posted another tweet, signaling he had conquered what he set out to do during his UFC career.
“To the light heavyweight title Veni, vidi, vici,” he wrote.
To the light heavyweight title Veni, vidi, vici
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 31, 2020
But only hours after announcing his intent to hang up his gloves, the warrior took up a good fight to stop the destruction of property from occurring in front of him.
While people in New Mexico and around the country have a right to protest peacefully, they are not entitled to senselessly deface all of America.
Jones made it perfectly clear where he stands on the issue, and there were none in Albuquerque ready to challenge him on the matter.
“We live here, we all live here and that’s just what doesn’t make sense. We live here, we’ve got to go eat at these same restaurants tomorrow, we have to take our kids for a walk and see the inappropriate gestures and words written all over the walls,” Jones told KRQE.
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