UFC CEO Dana White is pushing back on Jon Jones’ proposed legacy fight idea.
Should Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defeat Stipe Miocic and decide against retirement after UFC 309, White told “The Jim Rome Show” on Thursday there is only one option that makes sense, and it’s Tom Aspinall.
Although Jones wants to fight Alex Pereira in a potential superfight, White doesn’t see the UFC light heavyweight champion as having the proper abilities to book it.
“Jon will do what he does on Saturday,” White said. “If he wins, he’ll disappear for a while and the competitive spirit will start bubbling up again, and then money will talk. If he doesn’t decide to retire, he absolutely, positively fights Aspinall. He’s not fighting Pereira.
“(Pereira) was a middleweight who moved up to light heavyweight. He’s also a kickboxer who has done very, very well in MMA. His wrestling isn’t even near the level of Jon Jones, and Jon Jones is way bigger than him. If Jon Jones want to fight again after Saturday night, he will fight Tom Aspinall.”
Jones has flirted with the idea of Saturday’s bout vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) at Madison Square Garden being his last appearance in the octagon. However, he’s also continually entertained questions with scenario-filled answers as to a future beyond it.
None of Jones’ scenarios include Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who won interim gold in November 2023 and defended it once since. Jones has instead zeroed in on Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), which he views as a matchup that makes more sense business-wise and for his legacy.
White has continually voiced his opinion that Jones will compete again beyond UFC 309. Considered the greatest mixed martial artist ever by many, Jones has not lost outside of a disqualification for throwing then-illegal 12-6 elbows in December 2009.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.