Dana White reignites Jon Jones feud with brutal White House card remark

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Dana White reignites Jon Jones feud with brutal White House card remark

Originally posted on HITC | By Filipe Guedes | Last updated May 8, 2026 12:39 PM ET

Jon Jones’ absence in the UFC Freedom 250 already generated major discussion among MMA fans. Many viewed the heavyweight star as an obvious choice because of his legendary status inside the sport.

‘Bones’ is widely recognised as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history and an important American figure for a landmark event. Still, he was snubbed for the unique card at the White House and his public disagreement with Dana White only intensified attention surrounding the situation.

Although tensions between Jones and the UFC president appeared to fade recently, White has now reopened the debate.

Dana White brands Jon Jones ‘completely unreliable’

Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Speaking on WFAN Radio last Wednesday, White explained what happened behind the scenes to arrange the card, as he also labelled Jones ‘completely unreliable’.

“[Jon Jones is] Completely unreliable,” White began by saying.

“What we did was: I had the matchmakers go out and start talking to everybody, and come back to me and tell me every fight that is a possibility.”

White then doubled down on his earlier stance regarding Jones’ involvement by stating: “And as much as Jon talks, Jon was not a possibility on the White House card.”

Dana White calls Jon Jones "Completely unreliable" ‼️

"Jon Jones is completely unreliable. As much as Jon talks, Jon was not a possibility on the White House card."

(via @WFAN660 ) pic.twitter.com/WIaNtrpH9v
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) May 7, 2026

Those comments represented another direct swipe from the UFC president after Jones previously implied negotiations had taken place behind the scenes. White’s latest remarks suggest he never seriously viewed the MMA icon as part of the event.

Jon Jones blamed money issues for White House setback

Jones previously claimed financial disagreements prevented him from joining the proposed White House card.

According to the former two-weight champion, he was willing to compete for less than the reported $30 million previously discussed for a Tom Aspinall fight. However, he claimed the UFC refused to pay more than $15 million.

Jones also accused the promotion of “lowballing” him during discussions.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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