Jon 'Bones' Jones Left Rehab For Cocaine After One Night, Continues Education, Mother Says

UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones left rehab for cocaine abuse just one night after his Jan. 6 arrival, according to his mother, Camille Jones. The 27-year-old native of Rochester, New York, reportedly plans to be in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to watch his brother Arthur Jones’ Indianapolis Colts take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.

“I’m glad that this happened to Jon, this stopped him in his tracks, this let him know that he may need to change some friends, you know, because not everyone is not for you for the best,” Camille Jones told WBNG in Binghamton, New York. “So this is a good thing as far as our family is concerned, so we wasn’t upset.”

Jones tested positive for cocaine in a drug test administered hours before his successful title defense against Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 earlier this month. He apologized to family and fans for his “mistake,” and received a vote of confidence from UFC President Dana White, who applauded his decision to get help.

Jones’ mother said he was randomly tested after a night out with a group of friends. She expressed relief that the drug tested forced Jones to confront his substance use.

“When he tested positive, my first question was, 'Do you have a problem, a serious problem?'” she said. “And then he told me what happened. Jon is usually very honest with me, so he told me what happened. I was like, 'good for you … good. You needed to be caught, it was just timing.'”

Jones did not appear affected by his issues out of the ring during his unanimous victory over Cormier. He furthered his UFC record with an eighth consecutive successful defense of the Light Heavyweight Championship. UFC officials said the failed drug test will not affect Jones’ status as champion, TMZ Sports reported.

Brandon Gibson, a trainer who coaches Jones on his striking technique, said during a Monday appearance on MMAFighting.com’s “The MMA Hour” podcast that Jones stint in rehab would be “transitioning to more outpatient stuff and follow-up treatment for the considerable time being.” Gibson said there was little indication that Jones experienced struggles in his personal life before his fight against Cormier.

“You know, I didn’t see any giant signs or signals through camp,” Gibson said. “Jon was probably more disciplined than he’s ever been as far as the world leading up to the [Cormier] fight.”