Former UFC Champion Jon Jones reveals why F1 star Lewis Hamilton blocked him & called him a ‘coward’
The former UFC champion says an old hunting video sparked a heated exchange with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion.
Jon Jones has opened up about an unexpected falling out with Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton, revealing that the Ferrari driver unfollowed and blocked him on social media after taking issue with one of the UFC legend’s hunting trips.
Appearing on the ALF Global Podcast, Jones reflected on several chapters of his life, including becoming the youngest champion in UFC history, his relationship with UFC CEO Dana White and some of the controversies that have followed him outside the Octagon.
Among the stories he shared was the breakdown of his relationship with Hamilton, whom Jones admitted he greatly admired before the incident.
Jon Jones details the hunting trip that upset Lewis Hamilton
According to Jones, the disagreement stemmed from a hunting expedition he took with a group of Army Rangers several years ago.
“Lewis Hamilton, I went hunting years ago with a bunch of army rangers and we ended up hunting pigs from a helicopter using AR-15’s.”
Jones said he successfully shot one of the wild pigs and was proud that the meat was donated to a family in need.
“I was so proud of myself because I killed one of the pigs from the helicopter. My pig was donated to an underprivileged family in the community.”
However, after seeing the footage online, Hamilton reportedly reached out privately with a strongly worded message criticizing the method used during the hunt.
“But Lewis saw me shoot the pig from the helicopter and he wrote me a long message saying that I was a coward and he thought I was better than that.”
The former UFC Champion recalled Hamilton explaining why he believed the hunt was unfair.
“He said that the traditional way of killing animals should be with a spear or bow and arrow. He said only a coward could shoot an animal from a helicopter, give the animal a chance to fight you back at least.”
The disagreement ended their online connection.
“He unfollowed me and he blocked me. It sucked because I was a fan of him. He was very disappointed in me.”
Lewis Hamilton’s stance on animal rights fueled the disagreement
Jones had originally shared footage of the hunt on Instagram with the caption:
“One shot, one kill, lots of bacon. Was an honor hunting with Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Payne.”
The post generated significant backlash, prompting Jones to issue a public response.
“I apologize if this video makes some of you guys uncomfortable, at the same time I’m excited for my shipment of meat to get to Albuquerque.”
He also defended the way the hunt was conducted.
“I took my time with that first shot to make sure the animal did not suffer. Bet half you guys that are offended eats sausages and bacon on a daily basis.”
Hamilton’s reaction aligned with his long-standing commitment to animal rights. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2017 after watching the documentary What The Health and has consistently used his platform to campaign against animal cruelty.
Hamilton has previously said that veganism was “the only way to truly save our planet,” while arguing that “this is the world we currently live in, where humans believe that an animal’s life is worth less than one of our own.” He has also described industrial animal slaughter as “barbaric behavior” and has frequently spoken out against practices such as whale hunting and seal hunting.
Although the disagreement permanently ended their friendship on social media, Jones acknowledged that he understood just how disappointed Hamilton was by what he had seen.
Why did Lewis Hamilton block Jon Jones?
According to Jon Jones, Hamilton blocked him after watching a video of him hunting wild pigs from a helicopter and criticizing the method as cowardly.
What did Jon Jones say about the hunting trip?
Jones said the pig he killed was donated to an underprivileged family and that he took care to ensure the animal did not suffer.
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