While Jon Jones’ return to the Octagon remains uncertain, he recently refused to fight former rival Daniel Cormier in a wrestling match due to a severe medical condition. Jones stated to fight at the White House Card instead, as he plans to have one last match inside the Octagon.

At the DBX 5 event in Houston, Jones explained that he discovered arthritis in the right hip during his most recent fight camp (UFC 309, possibly), a stretch marked by “so much pain” as he prepared for UFC 309 in 2024. Following the “private” admission, fans have raised concerns about Jon Jones’ return because of his health condition.

Jon Jones finally speaks out following the leaked arthritis confession video

“If you’re wondering whether it’s true, it is. I’m grateful for all my battle scars, and if I could do it all over again, I absolutely would without hesitation. It’s been what I wake up for in my career everyday,” Jon Jones told TMZ Sports.

Still, despite the seriousness of his condition, the American legend has shown no bitterness and emphasized his commitment to a potential return. “The UFC knows the extent of my arthritis. They also know that if I were to put it all on the line one last time and endure that level of pain, the reward would have to be something special and something more than a fat payday. For me, that was and is still the White House,” Jones added.

With the White House event scheduled for June 14 to coincide with President Donald Trump’s birthday, Dana White hasn’t shown interest in booking Jon Jones due to past issues that strained trust and raised concerns about the promotion’s integrity. While the fight against Tom Aspinall did not materialize, the division has been struggling to build new credible talents with Aspinall out due to an eye injury caused by Ciryl Gane’s eye poke at UFC 321.

As ‘Bones’ prioritized his legacy over fighting a young fighter like Tom Aspinall, he verbally agreed to fight Alex Pereira, who plans on moving to the heavyweight division and chasing a third division title. With that said, Jones is still hopeful his former boss will give him a fight against Pereira at the UFC White House event.

Jon Jones believes his career legacy goes beyond the UFC White House card

Jon Jones has significantly slowed his activity inside the Octagon over the past five years, fighting just three times during that span. Meanwhile, last year he stepped away from competition without defending his belt against then-interim champion Tom Aspinall, despite previously committing to the matchup with the UFC CEO.

Even so, ‘Bones’ made it clear that he remained at peace even if the fight never came together. “Whether that fight happens or not, my career has been one for the ages and nothing short of legendary. I left a big part of myself in that Octagon, and I’m grateful for every bit of it. And don’t get it twisted, I’ll still kick 99% of your asses out there.”

“Still putting up big numbers under the squat rack… Still outworking most of you… just maybe after a proper warm-up and a good stretch,” Jon Jones told TMZ Sports.

Looking ahead, even if the UFC is tempted to lean on star power like Jon Jones for the White House card, the promotion may ultimately pull back. With the event unlikely to attract major sponsors or generate ticket revenue, the UFC could hesitate to deploy a marquee matchup on a night with minimal commercial upside.

Why burn a blockbuster opportunity for so little return? Drop your opinion below.