Jon Jones, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, lobbied hard for a spot on the card against Alex Pereira, but Dana White ultimately went in a different direction.
Jones claimed on X in March that he wanted to fight at the White House — but only for a fee in excess of $15 million.
White disputed this, however.
💬 “The Jon Jones thing is bulls***,” White said at a press conference ahead of UFC 326.
“I’m not saying they weren’t talking to Jon Jones and that Jon Jones wasn’t interested in the fight. What was even crazier was Jon Jones came out and was like, ‘I’m in negotiations right now for the White House card,’ after I had already sent a text to his lawyer saying, ‘Never going to happen ever.’
“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, he’s had doctors say that he needs a hip replacement.”
