UFC star Jon Jones has issued a public apology to Lewis Hamilton, five years after the Ferrari driver confronted him over a hunting video and subsequently blocked him on social media.
Hamilton, a prominent animal rights campaigner and vegan since 2017, took offense to a January 2021 clip where Jones shot a pig from a helicopter using an AR-15 rifle.
The seven-time World Champion, who currently sits second in the 2026 Drivers’ Standings for Ferrari, privately messaged the fighter to condemn his actions before cutting off communication.
Trying to reconcile with Lewis Hamilton after five years
During a recent interview with AFLGlobal, Jones revealed the extent of Hamilton’s response and expressed his desire to clear the air with the British driver.
“I went hunting years ago with a bunch of Army Rangers and we ended up hunting pigs from a helicopter using AR-15s,” Jones explained.
“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.
“But Lewis saw me shoot the pig from the helicopter. And he wrote me a long message saying that I was a coward and that he thought that I was better than that.
“He said that the traditional way of killing an animal should be with a spear or with a bow and an arrow. He wrote something like: ‘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. I was a fan of him, but he was very disappointed in me for shooting the pig.”
Addressing the F1 star directly, the mixed martial artist offered a formal truce.
“Lewis, if you’re listening, I’m sorry,” Jones added.
Hamilton has yet to respond to the apology as he prepares to resume his title fight at next weekend’s Dutch GP.
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