Jon Jones isn’t letting anybody cease him from preventing on the White Home.
Following Saturday’s UFC 318 occasion in New Orleans, UFC CEO Dana White was requested if he was entertaining the concept of the just lately retired Jones coming again in July 2026 to struggle at a proposed UFC White Home occasion to commemorate the 250th Independence Day in america.
White was blunt in capturing down the suggestion, saying, “You understand how I felt about him. I simply can’t danger placing him in huge positions in an enormous spot and have one thing go incorrect, particularly the White Home card.”
Jones has a checkered authorized historical past in addition to a number of failed drug assessments which have resulted in him being pressured to relinquish titles, overturned outcomes, and he as soon as refused a short-notice struggle in opposition to Chael Sonnen that resulted in him being blamed for the cancellation of UFC 151 in 2012.
On Sunday, Jones responded to White’s feedback, saying he’s “disenchanted” in White’s evaluation of his reliability.
I heard the feedback made eventually night time’s press convention. Whereas I used to be somewhat disenchanted, I’m nonetheless within the UFC’s drug testing pool, staying sharp, and persevering with to coach like an expert. I’ll be prepared for no matter comes subsequent.
In a latest interview, I shared that the…
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) July 20, 2025
“I heard the feedback made eventually night time’s press convention,” Jones wrote. “Whereas I used to be somewhat disenchanted, I’m nonetheless within the UFC’s drug-testing pool, staying sharp, and persevering with to coach like an expert. I’ll be prepared for no matter comes subsequent.
“In a latest interview, I shared that the chance to struggle on the White Home gave me one thing deeper to struggle for, a ‘why’ that goes past paychecks or belts. Combating for my nation offers me a larger goal!
“The silver lining in all that is understanding the followers see my coronary heart. They see, I’m prepared and keen to tackle anybody, to characterize my nation on a historic stage. For me, it’s by no means been simply in regards to the opponent. I’m chasing legacy, one thing timeless, one thing greater than the second.
“So for now, I’ll maintain grinding, keep affected person, and keep devoted. I’m able to struggle on July 4th.”
Jones, 38, introduced his retirement this previous June in the course of a long-running feud with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall that didn’t yield an precise struggle reserving because of Jones repeatedly dismissing Aspinall as a worthy challenger. On the time of his retirement, Jones held the undisputed heavyweight title, and it was anticipated that the 2 would ultimately meet in a unification bout.
As an alternative, Jones selected to hold up the gloves (quickly, it appears), and Aspinall was promoted to undisputed champion standing in his absence.
The information of Jones’ retirement was met with a blended response, with some questioning whether or not he’d even keep retired for lengthy and others simply wanting him to go away after competing sporadically the previous few years.
Jones is extensively hailed as one of many best fighters of all time. In his prime, he reigned over the UFC’s mild heavyweight division for practically a decade, and he has by no means suffered a real loss in 30 professional bouts. His legacy is checkered because of outside-of-the-cage misbehavior, with the latest allegations in opposition to him claiming he left the scene of an accident and in addition threatened legislation enforcement officers.
