Why Lewis Hamilton Called Me a Coward – Jon Jones
Jon Jones says a helicopter pig hunt cost him a famous Instagram connection. The former UFC heavyweight champion recalled that Lewis Hamilton unfollowed and blocked him after seeing footage from Jones’ controversial 2021 hunting trip in Texas.
Jon Jones Says Lewis Hamilton Called Him a “Coward” After Helicopter Pig Hunt
Jones shared the story during an appearance with ALF Global, saying Hamilton sent a blunt direct message after watching him shoot a pig from a helicopter.
“Lewis saw me shooting the pig and wrote me a long message saying that only a coward would shoot an animal from a helicopter. At least give it a chance to fight you back. He unfollowed me and blocked me. Although, I was a fan of his.”
The footage, posted while Jones was away from UFC competition and preparing for a move to heavyweight, showed him hunting wild boar from a helicopter. It drew plenty of criticism online at the time, with objections focused on the animal being pursued from the air and having little chance to escape. Jones has since described hunting as something he enjoys, though the helicopter clip remains one of the more divisive entries in his social-media history.
For Jones, the reaction apparently stung because Hamilton was someone he admired. Hamilton did not publicly confirm the direct-message exchange, but Jones’ account says the F1 driver made his view clear before cutting the Instagram tie.
Jones has never been far from a debate, whether it is inside the Octagon or outside it. He became the youngest champion in UFC history when he beat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the light heavyweight title in 2011, then built a resume that includes a record 15 UFC title-fight wins. He later won the UFC heavyweight championship, giving him titles in two weight classes and a strong case in any greatest-of-all-time discussion.
His career has also carried major baggage. Jones pleaded guilty over a 2015 hit-and-run involving a pregnant woman, received two doping suspensions in 2016 and 2017, and has faced further legal and personal controversies. The contrast is familiar to MMA fans as an elite fighter with an all-time record, paired with repeated incidents that have complicated how many people view him.
Hamilton, meanwhile, is one of Formula 1’s biggest names and a seven-time world champion, tied for the most championships in series history. The British driver became the first Black F1 world champion when he won his first title with McLaren in 2008, and he later set the record for most Grand Prix victories.
That makes this an unusual crossover feud and one combat-sports giant, one F1 icon, and a pig hunt that turned an Instagram follow into a block. Jones may have been a Hamilton fan, but Hamilton clearly was not a fan of that particular hunting method.
