UFC legend Jon Jones has signaled his strong intention to make a grand return to the Octagon at the monumental UFC event slated for the White House in 2026. His declared target is none other than the reigning heavyweight champion, irrespective of who holds the coveted belt at that time.
Jones, who had briefly stepped away from the sport before reconsidering his retirement, revealed that the prospect of a UFC card at the White House—part of the “America 250” celebration championed by former President Donald Trump—played a pivotal role in his decision to return. Ideally, Jones envisions himself headlining this historic event, vying for the heavyweight crown.
“I would want to take on whoever’s holding the belt at the end of the year,” Jones stated during an interview with `Joy of Everything` on TikTok. “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.”
Throughout much of 2025, a highly anticipated clash between Jones and Tom Aspinall was widely discussed, with UFC CEO Dana White frequently asserting that a deal was in place, potentially for a November card at Madison Square Garden in New York. However, these plans unraveled when Jones unexpectedly announced his retirement.
Yet, Jones’s hiatus proved to be remarkably short-lived. Soon after his retirement announcement, he began to hint at a comeback, even re-enrolling in the UFC’s stringent anti-doping program. White has since confirmed Jones’s re-entry into the drug-testing pool, clearing a path for his potential return to competition.
Jones`s ultimate goal is to secure a spot on the landmark White House card. He candidly admitted that the sheer scale and historical significance of this event, rather than the pursuit of a specific opponent, was the primary motivation behind his decision to end his retirement.
“I think it’s exciting. Very exciting,” Jones remarked when discussing the potential White House event. “I can’t promise anything, but I have a very strong feeling that I’ll be on that card.” He further underscored the card`s historical importance: “I think it’s going to be incredibly iconic. It’s going to be historic. In my opinion, it will be just as big as the Thrilla in Manilla, Rumble in the Jungle; it’s up there with that. It could be bigger than that.”
In the wake of Jones`s initial retirement, the UFC officially recognized Tom Aspinall as the undisputed heavyweight champion. The British fighter has since indicated that the promotion has already scheduled his next bout, with strong indications pointing towards a clash with Ciryl Gane later this year. Jones has unequivocally expressed his interest in facing the victor of that contest.
It`s worth recalling that Jones swiftly defeated Ciryl Gane in just over two minutes when they competed for the vacant heavyweight title in 2023. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall is widely expected to deliver a similarly dominant performance against Gane, should their projected fight come to fruition.
While the long-awaited showdown with Jon Jones might seem like a dream come true for Aspinall, who has consistently pushed for this matchup since securing the interim title in 2023, the unpredictable nature of Jones`s recent career trajectory—including his abrupt retirement—leaves lingering uncertainty as to whether this highly anticipated bout will ultimately unfold as another frustrating challenge for Aspinall.
