Is Jon Jones ‘Getting Lit’ At UFC Afterparty?

Jon Jones has an opportunity to win the UFC heavyweight title by defeating Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Sat. night (March 4, 2023) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Turning away “Bon Gamin” would earn “Bones” his second world title after previously wearing the strap at 205 pounds.

Certainly a cause for celebration.

But Jones will not be getting “lit” at the UFC 285 afterparty — win or lose — because the last time he drank too much in Las Vegas, he ended up in police custody. Jones has admitted to getting black-out drunk in the past but vowed to leave alcohol in the rearview mirror because his traumatized brain can’t handle the booze.

“I’m not getting lit at all,” Jones said at the UFC 285 press conference (watch it here). “You guys don’t want to see me lit. I’ll just leave it at that.”

“Amen,” added promotion president Dana White.

“It’s hard to bring this guy to Las Vegas for any reason,” White said after the 2021 incident. “This city is not good for Jon Jones, and here we are again. It’s not even shocking anymore. When we bring him here it’s almost expected. You can’t even get him in Las Vegas for less than 12 hours to induct him into the Hall of Fame. It’s a problem. This guy’s got a lot of demons, man. A lot of demons.”

Besides, alcohol (and girls) make fighters weak, according to this retired champ.

Jones, 35, will be making his long-awaited Octagon return after more than three years of inactivity. Much has been made of his new heavyweight physique (see the photos here) and UFC 285 could help usher in a new era of heavyweight dominance. Or it could go poorly for “Bones” and send him back to 205 pounds.

Or perhaps early retirement.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 285 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 285: “Jones vs. Gane” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 285 fight card and PPV lineup click here.