Jon Jones‘ fascination with the UFC’s upcoming White House card has always sounded personal, almost emotional—but it turns out the tale behind his return may be bigger than anybody thought. While Jones has stated that money, belts, and rankings no longer motivate him, new information has emerged about who may have inspired the idea in the first place.

And it wasn’t Dana White or the UFC’s matchmakers. According to entrepreneur Geoff Woo, the seed was planted by someone from outside the MMA world: Ivanka Trump. As ‘Bones’ works to get a position on the historic 2026 event, despite Dana White’s open refusal, a behind-the-scenes push from Ivanka could explain why Jones is so committed to the idea.

Jon Jones and the two stunning revelations in one podcast

The big reveal came straight from Geoff Woo, who casually mentioned it during a conversation with Jones. “About a month ago, I was at Ivanka’s house, and she told me the White House fight card was her idea,” Woo said. “She was like sunning Dana.” Jones quickly chuckled, saying, “Don’t sun Dana. You sun Dana, it never works out.”

However, Woo didn’t budge: “The only person who could sun Dana is Ivanka.” The entire interaction suggested how unusual and politically charged the White House event’s origins might be. The former heavyweight champion, however, sees this as more than just politics or hype. Fighting in the White House would be deeply personal. “It would earn me some major points with my friends,” he said.

“I’m friends with some of our country’s top military veterans… they would find it very, very cool,” he further added in the interview. Jon Jones confirmed what fans had suspected: “Some of my motivations aren’t traditional anymore… Most fighters wouldn’t turn down $30 million.” So, it surely looks like ‘Bones’ is chasing moments, not checks.

Still, Dana White, the one person he needs on board, keeps closing the door. After UFC 319, the UFC CEO did not hesitate when asked what Jones could do to earn a spot in the White House. “What do you think Jon would do in the next couple of months that would make me trust him?” he said. “I already said I don’t trust him… It’s a billion to one I put Jon Jones on the White House card.” For the head honcho, the Tom Aspinall saga still hurts.

After all, Dana White spent the majority of 2025 trying to make the heavyweight bout happen, only for Jon Jones to withdraw at the end. The UFC CEO believes that alone makes him too risky for something so sensitive and historic. ‘Bones’ expressed disappointment months ago, but White has remained consistent: trust is gone, and the White House stage is off-limits.

So, while Ivanka’s private push may have sparked the idea, Dana White‘s very public refusal has blocked it entirely for Jon Jones. Now, it’s unclear whether the former heavyweight champion will continue to try despite the “billion to one” odds. But if there is a ray of hope, it is that the UFC CEO has at least accepted Jones’ apology.

Dana White mends his relationship with Jon Jones

Jon Jones‘ situation changes slightly at this point. Dana White may not trust ‘Bones’ with the White House card, but he is not ruling him out entirely. After months of silence following the Tom Aspinall fallout, Jones eventually issued an apology—not to pick a fight, but to clear the air. And the UFC CEO, to many people’s surprise, accepted it without hesitation.

The former champion admitted that he mishandled the heavyweight situation before retiring, and Dana White understands that the entire fiasco is what harmed their working relationship. But when asked if he accepted the apology, White responded without hesitation. “Absolutely,” he told TMZ. “He doesn’t need to apologize to me for anything. Jon Jones is the greatest of all time… period.”

Coming from a promoter who has been openly upset with Jones for months, the tone was noticeably softer. Following UFC 322, the boss made another stunning revelation: “I talked to Jon Jones last night, actually.” It wasn’t a guarantee, and it didn’t change the White House’s chances, but it did reaffirm one key fact: the two are communicating again. ‘Bones,’ who is still advocating for an Alex Pereira superfight in 2026—this is a sufficient reason to keep pushing.