Jake Paul has issued a message to Jon Jones following his recent spat with Dana White after he was snubbed of a spot on the UFC White House card.
Jones had been in talks with the UFC over competing at the White House but Dana White opted to go in another direction as the promotion announced the six-fight card on Saturday.
The MMA legend, who held the UFC light-heavyweight and UFC heavyweight titles at the peak of his powers, reacted angrily to the White House omission, sharing a series of now-deleted posts on X.
Speaking after Sunday's Zuffa Boxing 4, the UFC boss hit back as he claimed Jones was never in the running to fight at the White House.
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'Bones' addressed White's latest comments by asking for his UFC release, which would allow him to explore other opportunities in the MMA space.
What does that look like? Well, it could come in the form of a fight on Paul's MVP Promotions, who will stage their very first MMA event on May 16, which features former UFC champions Ronda Rousey and Francis Ngannou.
At the launch press conference for Rousey vs. Gina Carano, Paul told Jones his promotion will meet his demands.
"Jon, you’re always welcome to come over to MVP," he said. "We’ll get it poppin, and we’ll get you paid what you deserve."
If MVP acquired Jones, then they have a ready-made fight against Ngannou, who himself spoke out on his rival's situation with the UFC.
Every word of Jon Jones asking for his UFC release
Jones hasn't fought in the UFC since his dominant victory over Stipe Miocic in November 2024.
He was in discussions with the UFC over a showdown against Tom Aspinall before he walked away from those talks.
But Jones eyed a return at the White House, with White denying him the chance to fight at the event celebrating Donald Trump's 80th birthday and the United States' 250th founding.
After missing out on the historic card and White's comments, the 38-year-old took to social media to ask for his UFC request.
"Hey everyone, I wanted to address Dana White’s comments from this past weekend, because the truth matters to me and the fans. Dana, you were heated about why I’m not on the White House card, but let’s clear something up. My team and I were actually negotiating with the UFC for that fight. Real negotiations. I even came down from my original number, and what was I offered in return? I was lowballed," he wrote on X.
"Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight. So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense.
"I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready. I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defences, the fights, hearing that I’m 'done' is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number. If the UFC truly feels like I’m done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today. No more spins, no more games.
"Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up. Bones out."
Topics: Dana White, Jon Jones, Jake Paul, Boxing, UFC
Nasir Jabbar