Dana White confirmed that Jon Jones has agreed to fight Tom Aspinall, despite ongoing rumors and social media exchanges suggesting otherwise.
Jon Jones is set to fight Tom Aspinall. Until further notice, Dana White is committed to making this matchup happen soon.
The UFC CEO recently addressed the ongoing verbal sparring between Jones and Aspinall. While the fight remains speculative, Aspinall boldly claimed the title of undisputed champion, even wishing Jones a happy retirement. Jones, unfazed, expressed interest in a potential bout with Francis Ngannou.
Despite the noise, White assures that Jones has accepted the fight offer against Aspinall. It’s just a matter of finalizing the details.
“I’ve been saying it since the beginning,” White stated at the UFC 316 post-fight press conference. “Jon Jones agreed to do the fight. Jon agreed to fight Tom, yes.”
White hasn’t been following all of Jones’s recent social media activity, including his interest in Ngannou. But he’s not losing sleep over online chatter.
When asked about Ngannou’s return to the UFC, White was skeptical. “Probably not,” he said.
If Jones changes his mind about fighting Aspinall—or retires altogether—White admits there’s only so much he can do to bring the heavyweight champ back.
Still, White remains hopeful about the Jones vs. Aspinall fight despite the latest exchanges. “I haven’t been keeping up with the gossip,” he said. “[Jones] is back from Thailand. We’ll sort this out soon.”
White acknowledged that getting Jones to fight often requires extra effort. “It’s definitely the process with Jon Jones,” he said. “It’s like dealing with artists.”
Aspinall is ready, and White emphasizes that it’s his fight. “You can’t make people fight,” he noted. “We’ll try to inspire him, but we’ll figure it out.”
White also commented on an online petition to strip Jones of the heavyweight title. Jones joked about the petition reaching 200,000 signatures, but White dismissed it as “silly.”
Amidst the rumors and online chatter, White is confident a deal will be reached. “Unless you hear it from us, don’t believe any of this bullshit,” he said. “Jon agreed to fight Tom, fact.”