Dana White Rules Out Jon Jones for White House Event
UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear that he has no intention of including Jon Jones in the event proposed by the promotion at the White House in 2026, despite the fighter’s interest.
Jones, 38, retired from MMA in June rather than accept a UFC heavyweight title unification fight against interim champion Tom Aspinall. However, weeks after his retirement, Jones announced that he planned to return, citing the UFC’s plans to host an event at the White House.
Despite Jones’s desire to fight on the card, White practically ruled out the idea on Saturday.
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” White said during the post-fight press conference for UFC 319 in Chicago. “If I had to bet, the odds would be a billion to one that I put Jon Jones on the White House card.
Dana White
Jones responded to White’s comments on Monday on social media.White has cited Jones’s lack of reliability as the reason for excluding him from the event. Jones is widely considered the best MMA fighter of all time, but he has been involved in legal troubles outside of competition. The UFC stripped Jones of his title several times, including in 2015 after a felony conviction stemming from a hit-and-run in New Mexico. He is facing new charges for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident this February.
In 2016, the UFC made significant changes to its historic UFC 200 event in Las Vegas when Jones was flagged for a possible doping violation the week of the event. He was suspended for a year.
Several renowned UFC fighters have expressed interest in the White House card, which White has said will take place on July 4th to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States. Conor McGregor, who hasn’t fought since 2021, is among them. White has said he won’t start thinking about who will be on the card until next year, but that he doesn’t anticipate adding Jones.
However, Jones has re-entered the UFC’s mandatory drug testing program and has said he will be ready for the July 4th date.
