Jon Jones probably couldn’t save the UFC’s underwhelming White House card if he were included, but Dana White insists it was never going to happen anyway.
Jones wanted the headline spot, but it went to Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje instead.
This is what fight fans are to expect on the June 14 card, titled Freedom 250, not Jones. And it was never going to be Jones — White wanted to make that clear.
”Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White said at the UFC 326 post-fight press conference Saturday night. “First of all, I’ve told you why I wouldn’t do it, and No. 2 some guy with Meta glasses on filmed him talking about his hips, that his hips are so bad, and I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run.”
The UFC president added, “Jon Jones, he retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips, apparently doctors say he should have [a] hip replacement. … That on top of all the other reasons that I wouldn’t (put him on the White House card). The Jon Jones thing is bulls–t.”
The UFC had allegedly been trying to put together Jones against Alex Pereira, who is arguably the biggest star in the company and is making the move to heavyweight after winning titles in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions.
Both sides said they wanted this bout.
White also seemed to indicate that the interest for Jones participating in the White House card wasn’t as desired as was publicly reported.
“I’m not saying they weren’t talking to Jon Jones and Jon Jones wasn’t interested in the fight,” White continued. “What’s even crazier is Jon Jones came out and was like ‘I’m in negotiations right now for the White House fight’ after I had already sent a text to his lawyer saying, ‘never going to happen, ever.’”
What’s noteworthy is that Pereira is actually slated to compete on the card, in a match-up with perennial heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane in his debut in the weight class.
The bout — which will serve as the event’s co-featured attraction — will be for the division’s interim heavyweight title.
The current UFC Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall — who has also been linked to a possible fight with Jones in the past, which Jones is credibly accused of ducking — hasn’t competed since October due to an eye injury suffered in a title defense against Gane.
Aspinall just signed a management deal with White’s rival in Eddie Hearn’s company, Matchroom, leaving his UFC and presumably mixed martial arts future in the air.
This came in response to the UFC CEO signing former Matchroom boxer Conor Benn to a one-fight, $15 million deal with White’s Zuffa Boxing venture.
As for Jones, if he is in fact retired, the 38-year-old Rochester, New York native would end his career as one of the best ever in MMA, even despite his various wrongdoings away from the octagon, which includes an extensive arrest record and other offenses.
Jones, in the octagon, holds a 28-1 record, with the one loss being a controversial disqualification, also including 11 knockouts and seven submissions.
In the UFC, he’s been a light heavyweight champion twice and a heavyweight champion once, holding various records and wins over other all-timers, highlighted by Daniel Cormier, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Alexander Gustafsson.
Jones last fought in November 2024 at Madison Square Garden, beating former champion Stipe Miocic by TKO in one of his only two fights since February 2020.
