Corey Anderson apologizes to Jon Jones for past attacks on religious beliefs

Life on lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic apparently has caused UFC light heavyweight Corey Anderson to rethink his feelings about Jon Jones as a man of faith.

Anderson, who’s feuded with Jones in the past and was considered a title contender not long ago, took to Instagram on Monday to issue a public apology for his “previous social media posts and interviews about his religious beliefs and being a Christian.”

His caption read: “Can’t take back my wrongs but I can start by apologizing for my actions.”

Anderson’s post included a photo of a longer statement.

“(Ever) since the UFC 232 incident, I allowed myself to come out of my character as a believer. And I blame myself for allowing it to happen. So I’d like to make a public apology to Jon Jones for all my previous social media posts and interviews about his religious beliefs and being a Christian,” Anderson said. “In this time away from the world, I’ve been able to dig deep into my Bible, pray and ask questions about living my life more and more as a Child of God. And one of the the things I’ve learned is that, as a believer myself, I should have directed my issues pertaining (to) his beliefs DIRECTLY to him and not into the media. As a man, I can admit when I am wrong, and I was/am wrong.

“As a fighter and a competitor, it’s easy to let the way of the world influence you to do the things the world wants you to do. But as a believer, I AM supposed to live the way the LORD wants me to and walk the way that will shed light on him and his word.”

In December 2018, Anderson competed at UFC 232 the same night that Jones reclaimed the vacant title by defeating Alexander Gustafsson in the headliner. The event originally was scheduled for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but shifted to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., one week before the show after Jones tested positive for what was deemed to be picogram levels of a steroid metabolite.

Anderson at the time took issue with an entire lineup of fighters being inconvenienced for Jones. As part of his criticism, he attacked Jones’ religious beliefs.

“A lot of his Bible sh*t is fake to me,” Anderson told TMZ a week after UFC 232. “The fact that he keeps quoting these Bible verses, and he’s even got Philippians 4:13, which is one of my favorite verses, tatted on his chest. I’m the type of person that I wake up in the morning, and I read my Bible. I’m a God-fearing man. He puts things (out there), ‘God this, God that.’ But then he goes out and does drugs, you’re popping for steroids, and you’re failing a test, and you’re (committing hit-and-run against) pregnant women and running from the scene. You can’t sit there and mix God and still live that life.”

Jones, who has a history of run-ins with the law, is not far removed from being arrested for DWI and negligent firearm use, among other things, last month in Albuquerque. He entered a plea agreement that allowed him to avoid jail time.