Dana White: Jon Jones agreed to fight Aspinall

Jones ‘agreed’ to fight Aspinall – White

UFC president Dana White has revealed that Jon Jones has agreed to a fight with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall — but also admits he cannot prevent the 37-year-old from retiring.

Jones, who hasn’t fought since November 2023, has stirred speculation on social media about retirement while also reigniting interest in a potential showdown with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.

However, speaking at the UFC 316 post-fight press conference, White clarified the UFC’s position: “Tom Aspinall is the guy. If the guy wants to retire and doesn’t want to fight, there’s nothing you can do.”

White compared the situation to previous UFC stars. “I didn’t want Khabib [Nurmagomedov] to retire, I thought [Daniel Cormier] should’ve stayed in it longer. It’s none of my business. I’ll do what I can to make the fight.”

When asked about the possibility of a co-promotional event to bring back Ngannou for a “super-fight” with Jones, White quickly shut the idea down: “It’s Aspinall’s fight.”

Aspinall, 32, has held the interim title for 18 months and has gone on record saying he believes Jones may already be retired. White insisted that the next logical fight is a unification bout between Jones and Aspinall, confirming the UFC offered the deal and that Jones accepted it — though no contract has yet been signed.

“Jon Jones agreed to do the fight,” said White. “Jon Jones was offered the deal and accepted the deal.”

For now, the future of the UFC heavyweight division hinges on whether Jones follows through or chooses to walk away from the octagon.