Jon Jones admits mistakes, seeks peace with Dana White after fallout over UFC fight deal. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has expressed his desire to meet Dana White in person to apologize for how their recent disagreements unfolded.
The tension between Jones and White reportedly stemmed from a failed fight negotiation earlier this year involving Tom Aspinall, who was being lined up for a heavyweight title unification bout. After the deal fell apart, White declared that Jones’ return was uncertain, and the UFC elevated Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight champion status.
Aspinall was elevated to undisputed heavyweight champion, but just two weeks later, Jones revealed his intention to return, aiming to compete on the historic White House card announced by President Donald Trump. Since then, Dana White has dismissed the idea of Jones appearing on that card, citing lingering trust issues over Jones’ reliability to follow through on fight commitments. The former two-division champion has now acknowledged that, although no contract was ever finalized for the Aspinall bout, he understands and respects White’s position.
“I think my most immediate goal is to try to be on the White House card,” Jones said about what comes next on the No Scripts podcast. “I’m giving Dana his space. Dana has changed my life. He has changed my life. He’s changed my children’s lives. I’m forever grateful to him. “We had a verbal agreement that didn’t go over well. Nothing was finalized. But I was wrong. The way things went down, I was wrong.”
Now White has repeatedly stated that he’s not going to start putting together the lineup for the White House card until early 2026 so no decisions have been made yet regarding who might actually end up competing there. Jones, on his part, has been actively pushing for a clash with current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira on the proposed White House card. Pereira has also shown interest to fight him. Whether the UFC will move forward with that idea remains uncertain, but Jones has expressed a desire to meet with Dana White face-to-face to smooth things over and hopefully rebuild their relationship.
“I wish I could see him face-to-face and just apologize to him so we can let bygones be bygones and get back to making some major money for the sport and really entertaining these fans,” Jones added. Despite the apology, it remains unclear whether the reconciliation will lead to Jones’ return to the octagon. White has previously voiced skepticism about Jones’ consistency, particularly after several cancelled fights and long absences due to injuries and contract disputes.
As one of the most talented yet controversial figures in UFC history, Jon Jones’ latest attempt to make amends could mark a new chapter in his career. Whether his proposed fight with Alex Pereira comes to fruition or not, fans and the UFC will be watching closely to see if Jones’ actions match his words this time.
