Trending Now - Jon Jones Clashes With Dana White Over Ufc's White House Ties
WHO:
Jon Jones, UFC fighter
Dana White, UFC CEO and President
President Donald Trump
UFC CEO and President Dana White
Fighters: Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane, Sean O’Malley, Aiemann Zahabi, Michael Chandler, Mauricio Ruffy, Kyle Daukaus, Bo Nickal, Steve Garcia, Diego Lopes
WHAT:
Dana White stated, “Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House.”
White mentioned that Jones has arthritis in his hips and that doctors say he should have a hip replacement.
Jon Jones referred to the negotiations regarding his potential fight at the White House as “complete bulls–t” in a series of tweets.
White indicated that there was interest in a fight between Jon Jones and Alex Pereira, but it was not as desired as publicly reported.
UFC announced a fight card for an event called UFC Freedom 250
The card includes two championship bouts: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the UFC World Lightweight Championship and Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship
Additional fights on the card include Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi, Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy, Kyle Daukaus vs. Bo Nickal, and Steve Garcia vs. Diego Lopes
Approximately 5,000 people will be able to view the fights on the White House lawn, and an additional 85,000 will view on big screens at The Ellipse
Dana White stated, "We’re going to take over Washington, D.C., the week of the fight."
WHERE:
The event will take place on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C.
Additional viewing at The Ellipse, Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
Jon Jones last competed on November 16, 2024, at UFC 309, defeating Stipe Miocic via TKO.
The event is scheduled for June 14, 2026
Dana White spoke during the UFC 326 event on March 7, 2026
Dana White made comments in January 2026 regarding the event
WHY:
White emphasized that he had already informed Jones' lawyer that a fight at the White House “was never going to happen, ever.”
The event is part of President Trump’s America 250 celebration
Dana White emphasized that the event won’t be "too political" despite its location
HOW:
White stated that Jones “retired because of his hips” and referenced a video where Jones discussed his hip issues.
Dana White mentioned that his staff has the logistics of the event "dialed in"
(UPDATED March 9, 2026 05:22 UTC)
In a recent statement, UFC CEO Dana White firmly denied any plans for Jon Jones to fight at the White House, emphasizing that he had communicated this to Jones' lawyer previously. White revealed that Jones is dealing with arthritis in his hips and may need a hip replacement, while Jones himself took to Twitter to label the fight negotiations as “complete bulls–t.” Although White acknowledged some interest in a matchup between Jones and Alex Pereira, he clarified that it wasn't as strong as had been reported, noting that Jones last fought on November 16, 2024, where he defeated Stipe Miocic by TKO.
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(UPDATED March 8, 2026 20:59 UTC)
In a groundbreaking announcement, President Trump and UFC CEO Dana White revealed that UFC Freedom 250 will take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026, featuring two championship bouts: Ilia Topuria versus Justin Gaethje for the UFC World Lightweight Championship and Alex Pereira against Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. The event will allow approximately 5,000 fans to watch live on the lawn, while an additional 85,000 will view on big screens at The Ellipse, as White stated, "We’re going to take over Washington, D.C., the week of the fight." This event is part of President Trump’s America 250 celebration, and White assured that it won’t be "too political," with logistics already well-planned by his staff.