Jon Jones is spending his days deep in the gym, heavily focused on his next moves inside the UFC Octagon. He has been making noise online recently, raising his voice against critics who continue to accuse him of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. But in the midst of this, he shared a story that put him on F1 star Lewis Hamilton’s bad side.
That fractured relationship started from a controversial hunting trip, leading the Formula 1 legend to literally unfollow Jones on social media and block him in his DMs.
The best part? Years after the incident, Jones acknowledged his wrongdoing and issued a heartfelt apology to Hamilton, who is about to earn $60 million this 2026 racing season with Ferrari.
How a Helicopter Hunt Cost Jon Jones a Fan
During his recent appearance on the ALF Global Podcast, Jones opened up about how a helicopter wild boar hunt with Army Rangers in 2021 permanently shattered his connection with the racing icon.
Instead of brushing it off, Jones shared the exact, blunt message he received from Hamilton before the former Mercedes driver hit the block button.
Jones recalled, “I’ll give you guys a funny story. Lewis Hamilton, I went hunting years ago with a bunch of Army Rangers. And we ended up hunting pigs from a helicopter using AR-15s. I was so proud of myself because I killed one of the pigs from the helicopter. And my pig was donated to an underprivileged family in the community. Lewis saw me shoot the pig from a helicopter, and he wrote me a long message saying that I was a coward.”
Jon Jones says F1 driver Lewis Hamilton went off in his DMs for killing a pig from a helicopter 😳
“He wrote me a long message saying I was a coward. He said give the animal a chance to fight you back at least.
He unfollowed and blocked me.” pic.twitter.com/6T9EtdlCm3
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 28, 2026
Jones added, “He thought that I was better than that. He said that the traditional way of killing animals should be with a spear or with a bow and arrow. Only a coward could shoot an animal from a helicopter. Give the animal a chance to fight you back at least. He unfollowed me, and he blocked me. And it sucked because I was his fan. Lewis, if you’re listening, I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry.”
Before the fallout, Jones and Hamilton respected each other, and the UFC fighter often praised the F1 driver’s racing career. Hamilton’s harsh response made sense given his public history of animal advocacy.
Since adopting a vegan lifestyle in 2017, the seven-time world champion has consistently campaigned against animal cruelty, funded plant-based initiatives and opposed factory farming. He even pushed luxury car manufacturers to replace traditional leather with animal-free alternatives.
The 39-year-old did not know about these deep personal beliefs when he shared the hunting video and it hit a nerve to trigger Hamilton’s backlash.
Jon Jones’s Future with UFC in Limbo
Jones officially retired and vacated his heavyweight title in mid-2025, but his relationship with the UFC exploded into a public contract battle. The mess started when UFC CEO Dana White left Jones off the White House fight card.
White publicly claimed Jones was finished due to hip arthritis. Jones fired back online, revealing that the UFC tried to book him against Alex Pereira but lowballed him during negotiations, refusing to go over a $15 million purse.
The dispute led a frustrated Jones to issue a direct ultimatum to the organization, saying, “If the UFC truly feels like I’m done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today. No more spins, no more games.”
Jon Jones on social media right now, asking for his UFC release:
“If the UFC truly feels like I’m done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today. No more spins, no more games.” https://t.co/dnqI02jNLq
— Daniel Yanofsky (@DanYanofsky) March 9, 2026
But the promotion refused to let him walk. Instead, Jones confirmed in July that he is staying inside the active drug-testing pool. Until the promotion grants his release or meets his price, Jones remains stuck in an athletic stalemate.
