Jon Jones was misguided in UFC Jacksonville tweets, but is he welcoming the role of the heel?

By Alistair Hendrie

In an episode of UFC Unfiltered in January, 24-year-old UFC lightweight Bryce Mitchell said his momentary Twitter ban – put in place “a few years before” he joined the UFC – left him feeling liberated. He was banned for criticizing the US government and revealed that nowadays he ignores abuse, trolls, and drama when scrolling through social media, preferring to concentrate on simple pleasures such as training, fishing, and playing video games.

The Arkansas prospect appeared on the podcast only 18 months into his stint with the UFC yet came across as a grounded and humble character, but that’s in contrast to the UFC light heavyweight champion and 12-year-veteran of the promotion, Jon Jones.

On Wednesday, Jones mocked Anthony Smith for being burglarized when he tweeted a since-deleted post: “Good thing Glover is not on the hunt for a new TV,” referring to Smith’s defeat to Glover Teixeira at UFC Jacksonville. Jones’s morals and decision-making were already under the spotlight thanks to a litany of doping suspensions and arrests – his latest brush with the law came in March when he was arrested for DUI and negligent use of a firearm.

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Check out Alistair Hendrie's Kindle book, Fight Game: The Untold Story of Women's MMA in Britain, featuring interviews with Rosi Sexton, Joanne Calderwood and many more