Jon Jones and Dana White’s relationship is as toxic as any employer-employee relationship can get. But recently, there has been a change. At UFC 329, ‘Bones’ met the UFC CEO backstage during the ceremonial weigh-ins for Conor McGregor’s return event. He was accompanying his protégé, Gable Steveson, who was making his UFC debut. Soon after the meetup, he posted a heartfelt picture on his Instagram, expressing gratitude to the UFC CEO, signaling that things might be all good now.

Following the interaction with White, the former UFC two-division champion also told Ring Magazine that he’s still “open” to a UFC return and remains in the testing pool, fueling excitement about a possible comeback. Still, many waited to hear what Dana White had to say. Finally, the 56-year-old has now reacted to the promotion’s most decorated champion teasing a return.

“There’s never been a beef between me and Jon,” White told Adam Glyn. “We have this weird dynamic. Jon is the greatest of all time. Jon knows where we stand and what we’ve got going on. But I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know. That’s up to him. He likes to talk about it, but actually getting a fight booked is a whole another ball game.”

Despite their shaky relationship, Dana White has never directly claimed that he holds any animosity toward Jon Jones. Here again, the UFC CEO has firmly maintained that stance. But currently, the former two-division champion is 39 years old and has already announced his retirement. So, even as Jones has revealed he’s open to coming back, White understands he may not be looking at a long run in the promotion, something that makes negotiating another deal tougher.

However, while White firmly rejected any possibility of personal animosity toward Jones, that doesn’t mean the two have never found themselves in murky waters. Most recently, there was a dispute between them regarding negotiations over Jon Jones’ place at UFC White House.

The former two-division champion retired last year without facing then-interim champion Tom Aspinall, which visibly left Dana White greatly upset. However, Jones almost immediately reversed his retirement stance after Donald Trump floated the idea of a UFC event at the White House. For months, speculation revolved around Jones’ fight against Alex Pereira at the event. But after the promotion revealed the final card in February, Dana White completely shut down the notion of ‘Bones’ being involved in the event in any form. 

Following White’s dismissal, the 39-year-old took offense to those comments and fired back at the UFC CEO in a series of social media posts. He even claimed that the UFC offered him $15 million to fight, but Jones didn’t accept the offer because he believed the promotion tried to lowball him.

The dispute between White and the former UFC champion seemed to reach a new level as Jones demanded he be let out of his UFC contract in hopes of a fight with Francis Ngannou. Reportedly, the former UFC champ even sought help from Tyron Woodley, who claimed to have provided legal assistance through his lawyer. Still, after all of that dispute, it seems Jones and White have finally been able to squash their differences.

Yet Dana White’s skepticism about striking a deal with Jon Jones isn’t new, as he has historically had trouble reaching financial terms with ‘Bones.’

Dana White claimed Jon Jones demanded $30 million to fight Francis Ngannou

After his victory over Dominick Reyes in February 2020, there were whispers of Jon Jones likely moving up to heavyweight. The following year, Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic to become the heavyweight champion, immediately setting up a potential superfight.

Well, the UFC was definitely interested in that bout, but Dana White revealed that ‘Bones’ demanded an extraordinary payday that he believed was a tough ask. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, the UFC President claimed Jones demanded $30 million to fight Ngannou, which, of course, he thought was an impossible payout. But Jones didn’t waste much time before completely disputing the claim on social media, stating he never discussed that figure with Dana White or Hunter Campbell.

“I never discussed wanting 30 million with you or Hunter @danawhite just wondering where you heard that number?” Jones responded on X. “Is someone speaking with you on my behalf or…”

That’s one of the historical disputes that many believed ultimately delayed Jon Jones’ return. Well, the former UFC two-division champion eventually returned to face Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in 2023 after a three-year layoff. That said, it’s true that Jones and White have gone through disputes, but most of the time, they eventually come to terms, even though it takes time.

Will Jon Jones come back? At 39 years of age, the UFC might not be interested in bringing him back without any long-term plan. However, with Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane’s rematch in sight, it’s possible he might return for one more fight in the UFC, especially if the Englishman comes out victorious.