UFC President Dana White recently made it crystal clear: If Jon Jones is serious about continuing his fighting career after his highly anticipated showdown with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, there’s only one fight for him—and that’s against current interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. White appeared on The Jim Rome Show to address the growing speculation around Jones’ future, including his comments on potentially facing light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. But White, ever the straight shooter, shut down the idea and laid out what Jones’ future holds if he decides to keep fighting.
"If Jon Jones wants to fight again after Saturday night, he will fight Tom Aspinall," White stated firmly. It’s a bold declaration, and one that has stirred plenty of buzz in the MMA world. The tension between Jones and Aspinall has been building, especially given Jones’ recent remarks about not being interested in facing the British fighter. Jones, who has been the heavyweight champion since March 2023, has made it clear he’d rather vacate the title than face Aspinall—calling him an “a--hole” he simply doesn’t want to do business with.
But Dana White isn’t buying into that narrative. He quickly dismissed Jones’ idea of pursuing a fight with Pereira, a light heavyweight champion who has been making waves in the UFC. White was blunt in saying, “He’s not fighting Pereira. Pereira was a middleweight who moved up to light heavyweight. He’s also a kickboxer who has done very well in MMA, but his wrestling isn’t even close to the level of Jon Jones, and Jon is way bigger than him.”
The context here is key. Pereira, a former middleweight champion, moved up to light heavyweight and seized UFC gold in November 2023. He’s been on an absolute tear, defending his light heavyweight title three times in just 175 days, which is a UFC record. Pereira has also teased the idea of moving to heavyweight to challenge for a title in a third weight class—a historic achievement no fighter has ever accomplished. Naturally, the idea of him facing Jon Jones has drawn considerable attention, and it’s a matchup that would make waves. But as White pointed out, the styles just don’t align, and Jones would have a significant advantage, especially in the wrestling department.
Jones, for his part, seems to be focused on other things. Despite his dominant reign in the UFC, including a win over Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant heavyweight title, Jones has been making headlines for his unwillingness to face Aspinall. Even with a title defense against Miocic on the horizon, Jones has been steadfast in his position. He’s been vocal about his disinterest in a unification fight with Aspinall, even suggesting that he might vacate his championship title just to avoid facing the interim champion.
But the UFC president isn’t letting Jones get away with that. White sees the situation differently, believing that Jones, who is 37 years old, has nothing to prove in terms of avoiding tough challenges. "For anybody to say that he is ducking anybody, Jon Jones is like 37, 38 years old," White said. "He has fought everybody. He has fought the best in the world in their prime and been doing it since he was 23 years old. He doesn’t duck anybody."
Indeed, Jones’ legacy speaks for itself. From his early days as a prodigy in the light heavyweight division to his rise to heavyweight champion, Jones has faced some of the toughest fighters in the sport—Dominick Reyes, Daniel Cormier, and Glover Teixeira, to name a few. His resume is one of the most impressive in MMA history, and his dominance in the Octagon is unmatched. But the drama surrounding his potential future, especially regarding Aspinall, has taken a front-and-center role in the buildup to UFC 309.
Aspinall, who is 8-1 in the UFC, has been on a meteoric rise, and many believe he’s the future of the heavyweight division. The British fighter’s eight victories in the promotion have all come by way of first-round finishes, and his only loss came in heartbreaking fashion due to an injury during his fight against Curtis Blaydes. The man has become a sensation, and White recognizes that Aspinall deserves his shot at unifying the heavyweight titles.
"Aspinall’s fight with Sergei Pavlovich was elevated to an interim title fight, and the British fighter won with a first-round knockout," White explained. "He’s been on an historic run, and he absolutely deserves the opportunity to fight for the undisputed title."
While it’s clear that White is pushing for the Jones-Aspinall matchup, he also understands the complexities of Jon Jones’ mindset. Jones has often been unpredictable, especially when it comes to decisions about his career. White summed up Jones’ behavior as “classic Jon Jones,” noting that the champion has a tendency to disappear for a while after big victories. "Jon will do what he does on Saturday," White said, referring to UFC 309. "If he wins, he will disappear for a while, and then that competitive spirit will start bubbling up again. Then money will talk."
The idea of Jones facing Aspinall is one that has captivated MMA fans, and if Jones does indeed win his title defense against Miocic, there’s little doubt that the anticipation for a potential fight between him and Aspinall will reach a fever pitch. White believes that after some time, Jones’ competitive drive will push him to accept the fight. "If he doesn’t decide to retire, he will absolutely, positively fight Tom Aspinall," White predicted.
This isn’t just a typical UFC title defense—it’s about legacy. Jon Jones is one of the most decorated and dominant champions in UFC history, and any future fight he takes will have significant implications for his standing in the sport. For Aspinall, this is an opportunity to stake his claim as the best heavyweight in the world and unify the division’s titles. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the MMA world is buzzing with excitement about what might come next.
As UFC 309 draws near, all eyes are on Jones and Miocic. But with the drama surrounding Jones’ reluctance to face Aspinall and White’s insistence on making that fight happen, it’s clear that the heavyweight division is about to enter a new chapter—one that could be as thrilling as any in UFC history.
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