Jon Jones wants to face "whoever’s holding the belt" at UFC White House, teases potential Tom Aspinall clash: "It’s going to be historic"

Jon Jones recently addressed coming out of retirement to potentially feature on the UFC White House card. He also shared his thoughts on his possible opponents for the highly anticipated event, with Tom Aspinall in the mix.

POTUS Donald Trump announced plans to host a UFC event at the White House as part of the America250 celebrations next year. Soon after, Jones came out of retirement and expressed a keen interest in fighting on the historic card. Jones has also re-entered the UFC's drug-testing program to qualify for competition.

Given that Jones' retirement last month threw cold water all over plans for a high-profile title unification clash against Aspinall, many wondered whether 'Bones' could finally face the Englishman on July 4, 2026. In a recent interview, Jones hinted at being open to an Aspinall fight and said:

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"I think it’s exciting. Very exciting. I can’t promise anything, but I have a very strong feeling that I’ll be on that card. It's going to be historic. I would want to take on whoever’s holding the belt at the end of the year. As of right now, the champion is Tom Aspinall, but we’ll see who’s the champion at the end of the year. I feel like it would only be fitting to have an American guy fight for the championship that night."

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Jon Jones explains why he came out of retirement for UFC White House card

Jon Jones recently addressed his return to action and explained what inspired him to come back to fighting. Jones notably vacated the UFC heavyweight championship last month and made his retirement official. Tom Aspinall was subsequently promoted to undisputed champion.

In an interview on the ESPYS Red Carpet Show, Jones explained the U-turn from retirement after Donald Trump's UFC White House announcement:

"I was retired. I felt like I was at a place where I've done it all in the MMA space, and felt like there wasn't too many more challenges for me, and I just wanted to do something more than championships and money. And, Donald Trump mentioned that he wanted to have a fight at the White House garden, and that just seems like such a huge opportunity."

He continued:

"I'm a very proud American. I have a lot of close friends that are in the military, and this is my act of, I can't call it service, but just to be able to entertain the country and the world at this level at the White House. It just means the world to me. So, I'm back."

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Edited by Nishant Zende.