Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones was asked about a potential ‘Plan B’ on his planned Octagon comeback.
Jon Jones shocked the MMA world when he abruptly announced his retirement from fighting last month after a long negotiation period with the UFC. After his retirement, Jones was stripped of his undisputed heavyweight title, and Tom Aspinall was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion.
Just days after his retirement announcement, Jones announced his planned comeback in 2026 following U.S. President Donald Trump’s news that the UFC will host an event on The White House lawn. But Jones’s comeback plan took a big hit on Saturday night, as UFC CEO Dana White steered away from making Jones the targeted headliner for the card.
Jones expressed ‘disappointment’ in his response to White’s remarks on social media. With a potential White House featured bout uncertain, Jones might still return to the cage in 2026 for the right opportunity.
Jon Jones clarifies UFC return after Dana White shuts down White House headliner
In a recent post to X, Jones hit back at a fan who claimed White ‘can’t trust him’ to headline a UFC pay-per-view after his recent transgressions.
“That’s actually not what he said, he said he can’t afford for anything to go wrong. Which is understandable, it’s hard to commit to any athletes literally still a year out,” Jones said.
“Let’s not twist words, my entire career has been a main event.”
Jones was then pressed about whether or not he’d still return to the Octagon for an alternative event after White’s recent comments about headlining at The White House.
“I don’t think so but right now it’s hard to say. I’m just gonna focus on staying focused, getting in the best shape and continuing to nail all the business that I already have on the table,” Jones said.
Jones recently stated his intentions to face the current UFC heavyweight titleholder when he returns to the cage in 2026. Aspinall is expected to make his first undisputed title defense later this year, potentially against a fan favorite.
Jones said that the UFC’s planned White House card gave him new motivation to train and get into fighting shape after his win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. After White’s recent remarks, Jones’s planned comeback remains a mystery.
Jon Jones congratulated Dustin Poirier on his retirement following UFC 318 sendoff
Jones kept a close eye on UFC 318 on Saturday night in New Orleans, as one of the UFC’s greatest legends said goodbye to MMA. Dustin Poirier retired following his loss to Max Holloway at UFC 318, drawing many fighters to praise Poirier on his historic career.
One of those fighters was Jones, who congratulated Poirier on his retirement and thanked him for the ‘years of entertainment’. Poirier heard from former rivals and teammates on social media in the hours following UFC 318.
Jones’s comments drew mockery from some on X, with one fan calling Poirier’s retirement ‘better’ than his. Jones seemed to bask in the fan hatred in response.