Lewis Hamilton returned to the spotlight due to an old off-track episode. UFC champion Jon Jones revealed that he was called a ‘coward’ by the British driver after posting a video of a helicopter hunt.
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According to Jones, the exchange of messages happened in 2021, when he shared on social media footage of a wild boar hunt alongside members of the United States Army Rangers. In the post, the fighter stated that the animal killed was donated to a needy family in the community and highlighted the participation of Patrick Payne, decorated with the Medal of Honor, and Jeff Cotto.
In an interview with AFLGlobal, Jones said Hamilton reacted negatively to the video. According to the fighter, the then Mercedes driver sent a long message criticizing the way the hunt was conducted: “Lewis saw that I shot the boar from the helicopter. He wrote me a long message saying I was a coward and that he expected more from me,” he said.
Jones also said that the seven-time Formula 1 champion advocated a completely different approach. According to the UFC champion’s account, the Brit wrote that ‘the traditional way to kill an animal should be with a spear or with a bow and arrow’ and continued: “Only a coward would shoot an animal from a helicopter. At least give the animal a chance to fight back,” he added.
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The fighter also revealed that after the exchange of messages, Hamilton stopped following him on social media and blocked him: “He stopped following me and blocked me, and that was bad because I was a fan of his. I was a fan, but he was very disappointed with me because of that shot at the boar. Lewis, if you’re listening, I’m sorry,” Jones concluded.
This episode resurfaced recently, years after the video was published. Hamilton, currently a Ferrari driver and a Mercedes member at the time of the incident, is known for advocating animal rights and has followed a vegetarian diet since 2017.
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