UFC star Jon Jones has admitted that Lewis Hamilton called him a coward and later blocked him on social media after seeing footage of the fighter shooting a pig from a helicopter.
The incident followed the circulation of a hunting video in January 2021 showing Jones using an AR-15 to fire at the animal as it attempted to escape. Hamilton, who has been a prominent animal-rights advocate for several years, was reportedly deeply disappointed by what he saw and contacted the American fighter directly.
Jon Jones recalls Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to pig-shooting footage
Speaking during an interview on the ALF Global YouTube channel, Jones explained that the hunt had taken place while he was accompanied by a group of Army Rangers. The participants pursued pigs from a helicopter and used AR-15 rifles during the activity.
Jones acknowledged that he had initially been proud of successfully shooting one of the animals. According to the former UFC champion, the pig he killed was subsequently donated to an underprivileged family in the local community.
Hamilton viewed the episode very differently. Jones recalled receiving a lengthy private message in which the seven-time Formula One world champion expressed his disappointment and branded the fighter a coward because of the way the animal had been killed.
According to Jones’s account, Hamilton believed that hunting an animal from a helicopter gave it no realistic opportunity to defend itself or escape. The British driver reportedly suggested that traditional methods involving a spear or a bow and arrow would at least have offered the animal some chance to fight back.
Why the hunting video upset Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s reported response was consistent with the animal-welfare principles he has publicly supported throughout much of his Formula One career. The Briton adopted a vegan diet in 2017 and was named PETA’s Person of the Year in 2018 in recognition of his advocacy.
The footage involving Jones therefore touched directly on an issue about which Hamilton has long held strong views. Rather than remaining silent, the Ferrari driver allegedly contacted the UFC star personally to explain why he found the method of hunting unacceptable.
Jones indicated that the message had a lasting effect because he had been an admirer of Hamilton. The disagreement was not connected to Formula One, Ferrari’s sporting activities or the pair’s respective careers, but instead arose from their sharply different attitudes towards hunting and animal welfare.
Jon Jones apologises after Hamilton blocked him
Jones went on to claim that Hamilton unfollowed him and blocked his social media account following the exchange. The UFC fighter admitted that the reaction had been difficult for him because he considered himself a fan of the seven-time world champion.
During the interview, Jones addressed the Ferrari driver directly and offered a public apology for the incident. He acknowledged the Formula One driver’s disappointment, expressed regret over what had happened and maintained that he would not repeat the act.
The renewed account of their dispute has brought the 2021 video back into focus several years after it initially attracted attention. It also highlights the strength of Lewis Hamilton’s commitment to animal rights away from his role as one of the central figures in Ferrari Formula One news.
Hamilton has not provided a new public response to Jones’s apology within the information presented. The account of the private exchange, the subsequent social media block and the precise nature of Hamilton’s criticism all come from Jones’s recollection of the incident.
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