Jon Jones Responds to Albuquerque Road Rage Allegations

UFC star gives his side of the story after viral video shows heated exchange with 19-year-old driver.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 5:18am

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A cubist, multi-perspective painting depicting the confrontation between a truck and a car on a city street, with the vehicles and surroundings broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of bright colors.A fractured, geometric illustration captures the tension and chaos of a road rage incident between a UFC star and a young driver.Albuquerque Today

Former UFC champion Jon Jones found himself in another public controversy after a video surfaced of him involved in a road rage incident with a 19-year-old driver in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The young driver claimed Jones nearly hit him multiple times and then confronted him, while Jones asserted the driver chased and tried to intimidate him. The latest incident adds to Jones' long history of legal troubles, particularly involving vehicles.

Why it matters

Jon Jones is one of the most accomplished yet polarizing figures in MMA history, with a string of high-profile incidents outside the Octagon that have repeatedly overshadowed his athletic achievements. This latest road rage allegation further damages his public reputation and raises ongoing questions about his behavior and decision-making off the field of play.

The details

According to the 19-year-old driver, Bryan Beltran, the incident unfolded on Saturday when Beltran claimed Jones nearly struck his vehicle three times while driving. Beltran said he revved his engine at Jones initially, then flipped him off, prompting Jones to stop his truck, back up, and confront Beltran. In the viral video, Beltran can be heard accusing Jones of erratic driving and almost hitting him, while Jones advised Beltran to calm down. Jones later took to social media to give his side, saying Beltran had chased his car for two blocks and tried to intimidate him, and that he was glad the incident happened to him and not a senior citizen in the community.

  • The incident occurred on Saturday, April 5, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Jones responded to the allegations on social media later that day.

The players

Jon Jones

A former two-division UFC champion with a long history of legal troubles, particularly involving vehicles and driving incidents.

Bryan Beltran

A 19-year-old driver who claimed Jones nearly hit his vehicle multiple times and then confronted him in a viral video.

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What they’re saying

“This kid proceeded to chase my car down for two blocks, revving his engine and trying to intimidate me. I am glad this happened to me and not one of the senior citizens in our community. I am proud of myself for standing up for myself and not allowing that kind of bullying or intimidation.”

— Jon Jones

“Driving up Central Close to Eubank, when I was almost hit three times by the truck, even after I revved my car at him the first time. It almost happened, he still almost hit me twice after that, so I flipped him off, then he proceeded to stop in the middle of the road, back up, and come into the same parking lot.”

— Bryan Beltran

The takeaway

This latest road rage incident involving Jon Jones is just the latest in a long string of off-field controversies that have plagued the MMA superstar's career. Despite his immense talent and accomplishments in the Octagon, Jones' repeated legal troubles and behavioral issues continue to overshadow his athletic legacy and raise questions about his judgment and decision-making outside of competition.