Jon Jones: Hamilton called him a 'coward' then blocked him
UFC star Jon Jones says Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton called him a "coward" and blocked him on social media after Jones posted a video of shooting a pig from a helicopter. Jones, who hunted with Army Rangers, later apologized and said he had been a Hamilton fan.
Key Takeaways
- Jon Jones says Lewis Hamilton labelled him a "coward" in a private message after a helicopter pig hunt video.
- Hamilton then unfollowed and blocked Jones on social media, ending their online connection.
- Jones said the pig was donated to an underprivileged family and later offered Hamilton an on-air apology.
- Hamilton, a longtime animal-rights advocate, has followed a plant-based diet since 2017.
The feud resurfaced after Jones described the clash in a recent interview, turning an old hunting clip into celebrity breaking news across combat sports and Formula 1.
What did Jon Jones say Lewis Hamilton wrote to him?
According to ESPN, Jones told AFLGlobal that Hamilton sent a long message after seeing the footage. Jones recalled Hamilton saying only a coward would shoot an animal from a helicopter and that a traditional hunt should use a spear or bow and arrow.
"Give the animal a chance to fight you back at least," Jones paraphrased Hamilton as writing. Jones added that Hamilton thought he was "better than that."
Jones said Hamilton then unfollowed and blocked him. "It sucked because I was his fan," the UFC star said, before addressing Hamilton directly: "Lewis, if you're listening, I'm sorry."
Why did the pig hunting video spark the fallout?
Jones said he went hunting years ago with Army Rangers and fired an AR-15 at pigs from a helicopter. A January 2021 video showed the two-division UFC champion taking the shot, captioned in part: "One shot, one kill, lots of bacon," and noting he hunted with Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Payne.
Jones claimed he was proud of the kill and that his pig was donated to an underprivileged family in the community. Hamilton, by contrast, has long campaigned against animal cruelty and was named PETA's Person of the Year in 2018 after switching to a plant-based diet in 2017.
How does this fit Hamilton's animal rights stance?
Hamilton's reaction matches his public advocacy. In 2019 he urged people to research the impact of meat and dairy on animal cruelty, deforestation, oceans, and climate. Blocking Jones underscored how seriously he takes those views, even with celebrities he once followed.
Jones framed the episode as a painful loss of a friendship with his favorite driver. Whether Hamilton accepts the apology remains unclear; neither ESPN nor Yahoo Sports reported a response from the Ferrari star.
For now, the story is Jones's account of a private message that became public. It shows how a hunting clip, animal-welfare beliefs, and social media can collide between two of sport's biggest names.