Jon Jones can kiss his dreams of fighting at the White House goodbye.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines when he announced that he would host a UFC fight card on the White House lawn in 2026 to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday. At first, it seemed like another wild-eyed claim from the embattled POTUS. However, UFC CEO Dana White later revealed that the promotion was indeed working to put together an event at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
From that moment, every fighter under the UFC banner came out of the woodwork, declaring their desire to compete at the history-making event. That includes Jon Jones, who cut short his retirement and jumped right back into the testing pool in hopes of fighting in Washington, D.C.
Unfortunately for Jones, that won’t be happening.
“With Jon Jones—he says he wants to be on [the White House card], too,” White said during the UFC 318 post-fight press conference. “But I just can’t risk putting him in big positions, in a big spot, and have something go wrong. Especially the White House card.”
With a hefty rap sheet and a year of ducking Tom Aspinall, it should come as no surprise that White doesn’t want to risk putting ‘Bones’ on such a big card only for him to start headbutting police cars ahead of fight night.
Jon Jones reacts to Dana White
Needless to say, Jones was disappointed after hearing the news.
“I heard the comments made at last night’s press conference,” Jones wrote on X. “While I was a little disappointed, I’m still in the UFC’s drug-testing pool, staying sharp, and continuing to train like a professional. I’ll be ready for whatever comes next.
“In a recent interview, I shared that the opportunity to fight at the White House gave me something deeper to fight for, a ‘why’ that goes beyond paychecks or belts. Fighting for my country gives me a greater purpose!
“The silver lining in all this is knowing the fans see my heart. They see, I am ready and willing to take on anyone, to represent my country on a historic stage. For me, it’s never been just about the opponent. I’m chasing legacy, something timeless, something bigger than the moment. So for now, I’ll keep grinding, stay patient, and stay faithful. I’m ready to fight on July 4th.”
That last bit about being “ready and willing to take on anyone” caused quite the ruckus on social media.
