Jones was ordered to perform 40 hours of community service in the Las Vegas area and Cormier was ordered to perform 20 hours for his role in his hometown of San Jose, California. The fines reflect 10 percent of their purse for when they fight at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, 2015.
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The brawl started when Jones and Cormier walked onto the stage for a staredown for photo opportunities for the media in the lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Jones bumped his head into Cormier, who then proceeded to push back and the brawl ensued.
Both guys appeared before the commission today and apologized for their role in the brawl. Jones admitted fault for his role in the brawl and asked for leniency in his punishment, while Cormier told the commission that he acted in self-defense.
“I made us all look bad, and as a champion, it was a terrible thing,” Jones said at the hearing. “It was a very heated moment. I’ve never done anything to disgrace the sport. I’ve never swore on an interview in my seven-year career. I make a very conscious effort to be a great example and a role model. And so moments like this are embarrassing. It’s embarrassing for me and I realize it’s going to come with consequences, and as a man, I sit here to accept them.”
When Jones was asked if anything bad came out of the brawl , Jones said he lost his six-figure contract with Nike and another a potential sponsor that was going to pay him six-figures.
Jones and Cormier took to their Twitter pages to express how they felt about the punishments.
The highly anticipated matchup between Jones, whose brothers Chandler and Arthur play in the NFL, and Cormier, who also serves as a UFC analyst for Fox Sports, was rescheduled for UFC 182 in January following a leg injury sustained by Jones a week after the brawl.
Steven Muehlhausen is an experienced MMA writer and contributor for Sporting News. Find him on Twitter @SMuehlhausenMMA.
