Corey Anderson Apologizes to Jon Jones for Previously Questioning Religious Beliefs

Corey Anderson has some regrets regarding his feud with Jon Jones, primarily as it relates to his verbal attack on the light heavyweight champion’s religious beliefs following UFC 232.

Anderson, who shared that card with Jones, was initially frustrated because the event was relocated from Las Vegas to California after a Jones drug test showed trace elements of a steroid metabolite. It was determined that the abnormality was a lingering effect of a failed test in 2017, not a new violation, which was why the California State Athletic Commission agreed to host the event.

Anderson has traded barbs with Jones periodically since then, but it was his remarks shortly after UFC 232 that seem to have “Overtime” rethinking his words.

“A lot of his Bible s—t is fake to me,” Anderson told TMZ Sports after the December 2018 event. “The fact that he keeps quoting these Bible verses, and he’s even got Philippians 4:13, which is one of my favorite verses, tatted on his chest. I’m the type of person that I wake up in the morning, and I read my Bible. I’m a God-fearing man. He puts things [out there like], ‘God this, God that.’ But then he goes out and does drugs, you’re popping for steroids, and you’re failing a test, and you’re [committing hit-and-run against] pregnant women and running from the scene. You can’t sit there and mix God and still live that life.”

On Monday, Anderson issued a lengthy apology to the UFC light heavyweight champion. Anderson’s post was accompanied by the following caption: “Can’t take back my wrongs but I can start by apologizing for my actions.”

“[Ever] since the UFC 232 incident, I allowed myself to come out of my character as a believer. And I blame myself for allowing it to happen. So I’d like to make a public apology to Jon Jones for all my previous social media posts and interviews about his religious beliefs and being a Christian,” Anderson wrote. “In this time away from the world, I’ve been able to dig deep into my Bible, pray and ask questions about living my life more and more as a Child of God. And one of the the things I’ve learned is that, as a believer myself, I should have directed my issues pertaining [to] his beliefs DIRECTLY to him and not into the media. As a man, I can admit when I am wrong, and I was/am wrong.

“As a fighter and a competitor, it’s easy to let the way of the world influence you to do the things the world wants you to do. But as a believer, I AM supposed to live the way the LORD wants me to and walk the way that will shed light on him and his word.”

In addition to multiple failed drug tests, Jones has dealt with numerous issues outside of his UFC career. Most recently, the Jackson-Wink MMA product was arrested and charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container alcohol and operating a vehicle without insurance in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 26. Jones was able to avoid jail time after reaching a plea deal that sentenced him to one year probation and 96 hours of house arrest.

Anderson appeared to be on a collision course with Jones after compiling a four-bout winning streak from 2018 to 2019. However, that momentum was lost when Anderson was knocked out by Jan Blachowicz — with Jones sitting cageside — in the UFC Fight Night 167 headliner on Feb. 15.

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Can't take back my wrongs but I can start by apologizing for my actions.

A post shared by Corey 'Overtime' Anderson (@coreya_mma) on Apr 20, 2020 at 7:36pm PDT