Dana White Rules Out Jon Jones for White House Event
UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear that he has no plans to include Jon Jones in the event proposed by the promotion at the White House for the year 2026, despite the fighter’s interest.
Jones, 38, retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) in June, instead of accepting a unification fight for the UFC heavyweight title against interim champion Tom Aspinall. However, weeks after his retirement, Jones announced his intention to return, mentioning the UFC’s plans to organize an event at the White House.
Despite Jones’s desire to participate on the card, White practically ruled out the idea on Saturday.
I wouldn’t bet on that. If I had to give odds, I’d say it’s a billion-to-one bet 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’ lack of reliability as the reason for excluding him from the event. Jones is widely regarded as one of the best MMA fighters of all time, but he has been involved in legal troubles outside of competition. The UFC stripped Jones of his title on multiple occasions, including in 2015 after a felony conviction stemming from a hit-and-run in New Mexico. He is currently facing new charges for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident this February.
In 2016, the UFC made significant changes to its UFC 200 event in Las Vegas when Jones was flagged for a potential doping violation the week of the event. He was suspended for a year.
Several prominent UFC fighters have expressed interest in the White House card, which White says will take place on July 4th to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. Conor McGregor, who hasn’t fought since 2021, is one of 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 stated that he will be ready for the July 4th date.
