Dana White Speaks on Jon Jones at UFC White House Event

Schulz asked the CEO if there was any possibility of Jones coming out of retirement to fight at the White House event. 

Before making any statements about Jon Jones, White answered Schulz, “I haven’t said yes or no to anybody yet.”

White then followed up, cryptically saying,  “I can’t put Jon Jones in a position where he can... You know.”

“I had a deal with him. We had a deal to fight Tom Aspinall,” White recalls. “Then he said, ‘You know what, I’m not going to do it.’ I can’t be in that position.”

Jon Jones’ Retirement was the Tipping Point

Jones's decision to retire in 2025, which White announced, came after a prolonged period of public pressure surrounding his confirmed fight against the UFC interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. To make matters worse, Jones faced a legal battle shortly after his retirement was announced, though these misdemeanor charges have since been dropped. 

This move vacated the heavyweight title and left the division in limbo, with Aspinall eventually being elevated to undisputed champion.

In the aftermath, White emphasized that for an event as major as the White House card, he needs headline fighters he can trust completely. He has explicitly stated he cannot trust Jones to show up and fight. This contrasts with other athletes like Conor McGregor, whom White has not promised will be on the White House card, but has also not outright denied his reliability.

Despite the fractured trust, Jon Jones has been actively campaigning to get on the White House card and mend his relationship with the UFC boss. He has even teased that he has re-entered the UFC drug testing pool, showing his willingness to get back into competition.

Jon Jones’ Potential Path to the White House

Jones's desired path to the White House is a mega-fight with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, a matchup both fighters have publicly called for. 

At the same time, however, Jones has been publicly critical of the newly-crowned heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, since his performance against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest that was deemed disappointing by much of the UFC community.

While Jones pushes for a fight with Pereira, the ball remains in Dana White's court. Still, Jones has done little to convince the UFC CEO that he can be trusted to headline the UFC's most ambitious event.