Dana White is fed up with repeatedly addressing Jon Jones’ place on the proposed White House card. Jones has been vocal about wanting a spot on the historic event against Alex Pereira, even after his sudden and surprising retirement last year. However, White dismissed the idea from the outset, insisting the former two-division champion cannot be relied upon. Tensions only grew once the official White House card was unveiled during UFC 326.

White claimed that Jones is retired and was never in consideration for the card, even referencing Jones’ own admission about dealing with arthritis. Still, ‘Bones’ has refused to back down, claiming he has undergone stem cell treatment. He recently revealed he was offered $15 million to fight Alex Pereira, expressing dissatisfaction with the purse. White has now responded to those claims, and Jones might not like it.

“John Jones was never fighting on the White House card,” White responded to Jones’ $15 million claim. “How many f**king times do I have to say this?… I literally have done two press conferences talking about this. [Matchmakers] went out, found everything that they thought was available and possible, and then I picked the fights. There’s no way in hell I was putting him on the card. 

“No matter what the money was,” White added with frustration. “Jon Jones was never going to fight on the White House card.”

For context, Jon Jones was reportedly offered $30 million to face Tom Aspinall when the latter was an interim champion, and Jones held the title. The undefeated two-division champion, however, refused to take the fight. That too, after making Aspinall, UFC, and the fans wait for over a year in anticipation of the fight. There’s karmic justice to it, and many even feel Jones had it coming. 

Instead of Jones, Alex Pereira’s first heavyweight fight will be against Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of UFC White House, officially billed as UFC Freedom 250. The pair will fight for the interim heavyweight title, with the winner possibly facing full champion Tom Aspinall, who is currently sidelined due to an injury, down the line in an unification bout. Jones, in the meantime, appears to have been forced back into retirement. 

This is a developing story—stay tuned to learn more.