UFC Icon Jon Jones Explains How ‘Coward’ Helicopter Hunting Video Ended Friendship With F1 Legend Lewis Hamilton

Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has opened up about the bitter fallout from a controversial 2021 hunting video that led seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton to personally confront, unfollow, and block him on social media. Speaking years after the high-profile incident, the mixed martial arts icon recalled how an excursion shooting wild pigs from a helicopter with military personnel sparked direct condemnation from the British racing superstar. Hamilton, a staunch animal rights advocate who follows a strict vegan lifestyle, personally messaged Jones to express his deep disappointment, labeling the combat sports legend a “coward” for his actions in a fiery private exchange that permanently severed their connection.

Jones confessed that the fallout cut deep, revealing he had long been an ardent admirer of the Ferrari-bound racing driver before the disagreement abruptly ended their relationship. The former champion admitted that while he faced widespread public backlash across social media at the time, losing the respect and friendship of someone he personally looked up to made the incident far more personal and painful to process over the years.

Inside the Aerial Pig Hunt That Outraged the Formula 1 Superstar

The controversy originally erupted in 2021 after Jones joined a group of US Army Rangers for an aerial hunting trip targeting wild pigs. During the excursion, the fighter shot animals from an airborne helicopter using an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, later sharing footage of the experience on his personal social media accounts. Jones explained that he felt a sense of personal pride after successfully harvesting an animal during the flight, noting that the meat was subsequently donated to assist an underprivileged family within the local community.

“I went hunting years ago with a bunch of Army Rangers, and we ended up hunting pigs from a helicopter using AR-15s,” Jones recalled when reflecting on the origin of the dispute. “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.”

However, the graphic video quickly caught the attention of Hamilton, whose ethical principles regarding animal welfare clashed fundamentally with aerial hunting practices. Unimpressed by the sport or the rationale behind it, the F1 icon reached out directly to Jones to voice his outrage, arguing that using high-powered rifles from the safety of an aircraft gave the animals no fair chance to defend themselves.

“Lewis saw me shoot the pig from the helicopter. And he wrote me a long message saying that I was a coward,” Jones revealed. “And that he thought that I was better than that. He was saying like only a coward could shoot an animal from a helicopter, so 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.”

Public Apology, Backlash Defence, and Lasting Regret

Following a barrage of public criticism when the footage went viral, Jones released an official public statement attempting to address the discomfort felt by his followers while defending the ethics of his hunt. The fighter argued that he took great care to ensure a clean shot so the animal would not suffer unnecessarily, while pointing out what he viewed as hypocrisy among meat-consuming critics who condemned hunting while eating commercially farmed products daily.

“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,” Jones stated in his original public apology. “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.”

Despite issuing the apology and offering context around his actions, Jones admitted that Hamilton’s sharp reaction stayed with him far longer than any general internet outrage. Years after the incident, the UFC star expressed lingering sadness that a single disagreement ended his connection with the F1 legend, emphasizing how difficult it was to accept the sudden rupture with an athlete he genuinely idolized.