UFC’s Jon Jones slams ‘murder’ and ‘torture’ of George Floyd – ‘I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy’

UFC light heavyweight champion Jones compares ex-police officer’s knee-on-neck choke to previous opponent Ovince Saint Preux

Jones calls the incident ‘disgusting’ and said what Floyd went through was ‘worse than drowning’

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UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones looks to the fans after defeating Anthony Smith at UFC 235 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in March last year. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:13pm, 29 May 2020Updated: 1:34pm, 1 Jun 2020

Jon Jones has slammed the death of George Floyd in which now-viral video footage appears to show a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the 46-year-old black man’s neck for nearly eight minutes despite pleas that he could not breathe.

Floyd – who was suspected of forgery – later died in hospital with the cause yet to be confirmed. Several protests against racial inequality and police brutality have since emerged around the US.

Light heavyweight champion Jones took his combat expertise to Twitter to condemn ex-police officer Derek Chauvin’s decision to “torture” Floyd.

“I [wouldn’t] wish the way George Floyd was murdered on my worst enemy,” Jones tweeted on Wednesday.

Jones cited former opponent Ovince St Preux – who he beat via unanimous decision at UFC 197 in 2016 – renowned for his four Von Flue Choke finishes. The submission move is implemented as a defence against a guillotine attempt and uses the opponent’s own shoulder to stop blood flowing through the carotid artery.

“That officer applied just enough pressure to keep him alive for almost six minutes in that chokehold. In all my years of fighting I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything close to that level of torture,” Jones said.