UFC great Jon Jones has admitted that not fighting at the White House is a “regret” he will “live with forever”.
Jones, a former light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion, retired from mixed martial arts in summer 2025, giving up the heavyweight belt in the process.
However, the American angled for a return this June, hoping to feature on the UFC’s unprecedented card on the South Lawn.
Instead, the event was headlined by a lightweight title fight in which Justin Gaethje dethroned Ilia Topuria, after the co-main event saw Ciryl Gane stop Alex Pereira to win the interim heavyweight strap.
“Honestly, there was a little bit of contract negotiation that didn’t go my way,” Jones said in an interview with Prince St Pizza on Wednesday.
“Dana [White, UFC president and CEO] is the absolute man, that’s the boss, and sometimes you and the boss aren’t gonna always agree. Business is business.
“But man, I usually don’t have regrets, I stand with my decisions – and it was my decision not to compete on that card – [but] the night of the fight, seeing all the boys walk out with our war heroes...
“Man, watching the boys walk out from the Oval Office and Trump be there and everything, it was one of the few times in my life where I just knew: ‘I should not be home on this night.’ I should have been out there.
🚨 Jon Jones reveals he turned down an offer to fight on the UFC White House card after they couldn't agree on terms
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 21, 2026
"It was my decision. I could've fought, we just couldn't come up to an agreement... It's one of my small regrets that I have to live with forever."
(via Prince… pic.twitter.com/lw3EPh5o7j
“I’m such a proud American, and I’m such a fan of military and law enforcement, and to salute our military and law enforcement on that night and me not be a part of it – as one of the greatest American fighters in our sport’s history – it’s one of my small regrets that I have to live with forever.”
Jones insisted: “It was my decision, I could’ve fought. We just couldn’t come up to an agreement.”
The 39-year-old previously admitted to turning down $30m to fight Britain’s Tom Aspinall, who held the interim title while Jones was regular heavyweight champion. When Jones retired in summer 2025, Aspinall was elevated to undisputed champion.
However, Aspinall’s first title defence ended unexpectedly in October, when he could not keep fighting after suffering multiple eye pokes by his challenger, Gane.
Aspinall, who is still recovering from his eye injuries, was recently forced to vacate his title, meaning Gane was elevated to undisputed champion – following his interim-title win at the White House.
Jones’s decision not to face Aspinall was the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding him; “Bones” failed multiple drug tests throughout his career, and he has had numerous run-ins with the law outside of the cage.