Jon Jones Says 'Embarrassing' DWI Arrest Changed His Life, 'Set Me Free'

Jon Jones says there's a silver lining to his March drunk driving arrest -- "it set me free in so many ways" -- and now he's focused on staying clean.

"It embarrassed me, it reality-checked me," Jones said on Steve-O's "Wild Ride" podcast ... "I've never been on camera drunk for the public to see like that."

"It was humiliating, and somewhat of a bottom for me -- and I'm ready to snap it into high gear."

As we previously reported, Jones was arrested around 1 AM on March 26 after cops responded to reports of gunfire in the Albuquerque area.

When cops found Jones alone in his Jeep, he appeared intoxicated and admitted to drinking earlier in the evening.

32-year-old Jones later plead guilty to DWI and was sentenced to 1 year probation, ordered to house arrest and forced to wear an ankle monitor.

During Steve-O's podcast, Jones said he's been thinking deeply about his life ever since his arrest ... and he's trying to cut out the bad influences who have led him astray in the past.

Jones also says the COVID-19 pandemic is helping him learn how to stay away from the party scene -- "detach from the nightlife."

"The coronavirus really helped though -- it helped me learn how to stay home on Fridays and Saturdays."

"Before the world got put on hold, I had this fear of missing out ... and coronavirus helped me realize 'Jon you're not missing anything out there.' And, anything that really matters is happening during the day time with your wife and kids."

Jones also talked about his work with the C.A.R.E. project -- which is raising money and support for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in NM.