Jon Jones Told To Beg For White House Card Appearance

Jon Jones might need to plead his case to secure a spot on the UFC White House event next June, according to his former rival, Rashad Evans.

Jones recently retired in June and vacated the UFC Heavyweight Championship Title, a decision that Dana White was unhappy about. The decision ended hopes of the Tom Aspinall fight, despite White continuing to insist it would happen. Jones then declared his intention to return to fighting, having reentered the testing pool with an eye on the White House card. However, White said the chances of Jones fighting on the card are a billion to one. White also favored Conor McGregor as the headline attraction. Evans feels Jones may have to ‘beg a little.’

Evans Reacts

“You’ve got to make him beg a little bit. You’ve got to make him beg so that you know he’s buying all the way in. You’ve got to make him beg, make him plead his case, and that way he can totally buy in, and that way there’s going to be none of those antics, and he’s going to be showing up to practice and showing up to make sure he’s the best he can be for that fight.

“Having Jon Jones on a card, you want to be able to have an American on there who is going to be able to go out there with a big name and win the fight. In America right now, we don’t have any champions right now. No one that’s going to be a for sure lock like Jon Jones. It’d be good to have him out there. Here’s the thing: Jon Jones, he’s the man. You’ve got to be able to see Jon Jones and be able to understand, you’re going to get the viewership if you put him on the card,” Evans said

The Case

The most compelling reason to feature Jones on the White House card is his star power. There is the lack of current American champions in the UFC. Placing Jones, one of the greatest American fighters of all time, in a main or co-main event slot would give the UFC a massive, recognizable American name to anchor a card meant to celebrate the sport on US soil.

Conversely, Jones’ history includes multiple outside-the-cage controversies and late withdrawals, making him a risk for any massive event. White needs assurance that Jones is “buying all the way in” to prevent the kind of chaos that could derail a politically sensitive event like the White House card. The UFC must weigh Jones’ immense draw against the risk he poses to the event’s stability.