Dana White drops Jon Jones bombshell after UFC White House card announcement

UFC president Dana White has explained why former undisputed heavyweight champion Jon Jones was "never, ever, ever" going to feature at the White House event.

After much speculation, White announced the six-fight card for UFC Freedom 250, an event that will take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Ilia Topuria will defend his undisputed lightweight belt against Justin Gaethje in the main event, while Alex Pereira will headline the co-main and take on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.

Sean O'Malley, Michael Chandler and Bo Nickal will also fight in front of an estimated 5,000 spectators, but two of the biggest names in MMA history – Conor McGregor and Jon Jones – have been left out.

Jones, who announced his retirement from the UFC in June last year, was keen on taking part at the White House.

Asked by a fan if he was going to fight again, Jones replied: "Who knows what the future holds, but the moment I heard Donald Trump‘s announcement, I started training again."

Even last month, Jones claimed he was in “negotiations” with the UFC over a fight on the White House card. “I’m a very, very, very proud American and I cannot wait to represent one more time, so let’s see what happens," he added.

But an appearance on the card was "never, ever" going to happen, according to Dana White, who spoke about Jones following Saturday's UFC 326 event in Las Vegas.

Asked about the speculation that it was Jon Jones who was supposed to fight at the White House after a fight fell through on Friday, White did not hold back.

“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times, was Jon Jones ever remotely in my mind to fight at the White House. I’ve told you why I wouldn’t do it," he said in the UFC 326 press conference.

“Some guy with Meta glasses filmed him talking about his hips. I don’t know if you saw that flag football game where he can barely run; he’s got arthritis in his hips. The doctor said he should have a hip replacement.

“Add that on top of all the other reasons that I wouldn’t, the Jon Jones thing was bulls***. I’m not saying we weren’t talking to Jon Jones and Jon Jones wasn’t interested in the fight."

White added: “And what was even crazier was Jon Jones came out and was like ‘I’m in negotiations right now for the White House fight’ after I sent a text to his lawyer saying ‘never gonna happen, ever’.”