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By Polly Mosendz
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) this week stripped Jon Jones of his light heavyweight title following a traffic incident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to ESPN, Jones is the first UFC fighter to have lost a title for "disciplinary reasons."
Jones is suspected in a hit-and-run in Albuquerque that left a pregnant woman injured. After allegedly driving through a red light, his vehicle is believed to have hit the driver's side of Vanessa Sonnenberg's car.
"I am pregnant and I feel like I am going to pass out. My arm is hurting all the way up," she told police following the accident. Sonnenburg suffered a fractured arm and wrist.
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Jones was charged on April 27 with "leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injuries." According to the police report, Jones "retrieved cash from the vehicle and shoved it into his pockets" and ignored a witness who was urging him to stay at the scene. He allegedly fled on foot.
The Albuquerque police department said Jones was booked "without incident" after it issued a warrant for his arrest.
"He's very disappointed. He's upset," UFC President Dana White said. "He wanted to go down as one of the greats or the greatest. He's disappointed, but it is what it is. It is the decision we had to make. For us to go in and have to strip him of his title and suspend him is not fun, but you know what they say: The show must go on."
Jones commented only briefly on the matter, via Twitter: "Got a lot of soul searching to do. Sorry to everyone I've let down."
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