Dana White has officially put any lingering tension with Jon Jones behind him, offering high praise for the former UFC champion just months after their public disagreement.
The relationship between White and Jones appeared strained earlier this year after the former two-division UFC champion publicly requested his release from the promotion. The dispute began when Jones expressed interest in competing at UFC Freedom 250, the historic event announced by Dana White and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Although Jones reversed his retirement plans and pushed for a spot on the card, White dismissed the idea, citing concerns about Jones’ reliability outside the Octagon. The comments sparked a heated reaction from Jones, who responded on social media by asking for his UFC release. However, it appears the bad blood didn’t last long.
The two recently reunited at UFC 329, where Jones cornered Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson during his successful heavyweight debut. Following the event, Jones shared a photo with White on social media and referred to the UFC boss as a “homie for life,” signaling that their relationship was back on track.
During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Dana White addressed Jones’ comments and made it clear that the mutual respect between them never disappeared.
“Yeah, and likewise,” White said. “Me and Jon have our, you know, there’s the business side and then there’s the personal side, but even on the business side, I always respect Jon Jones.”
White explained that while disagreements are inevitable in the fight business, his admiration for Jones’ accomplishments has never wavered.
“Jon Jones knows who he is, and Jon Jones knows what he does, and there’s no delusion there,” White said.
“I say it, and I’ll say it again: He’s the greatest of all time.”
The UFC CEO also reflected on Jones’ remarkable ability to perform at the highest level, even during periods when his personal life was far from ideal.
“A lot of these fights that he went out and won, he wasn’t being very good to himself leading up to those fights,” White said.
Despite Jones’ well-documented troubles outside the cage throughout his career, Dana White believes his achievements inside the Octagon remain unmatched.
White even suggested that fans may not fully appreciate how extraordinary Jones’ career truly was until more stories emerge after his retirement.
“When the Jon Jones stories start to come out after he retires and he’s gone and, like, whatever,” White said, “I mean, the stuff that this guy was doing, and then coming out and beating the s— out of world-class guys who trained hard to try to beat him.”
White compared Jones’ unique talent and competitive dominance to other legendary athletes whose careers have become even more appreciated with time.
Jones retired after successfully defending the UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. While speculation about a comeback continues to surface, the former champion has not officially reversed his retirement decision.
Regardless of whether Jones ever fights again, Dana White remains convinced that his place atop the MMA mountain is secure.
For all their past disagreements, one thing is now crystal clear: White still views Jon Jones as the greatest fighter the sport has ever seen.
