Dana White shuts down Jon Jones headlining UFC White House: ‘I just can’t risk putting him in big positions’

Jon Jones decided to end his retirement just two weeks after it started thanks to the announcement from President Donald Trump that he was planning to host a UFC event at the White House in 2026. Unfortunately for Jones, it appears he may not even end up with a spot on that card.

While preparations for the event are underway, UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly stated he’s not even contemplating matchmaking yet because the card is still a year away. That said, White’s hesitation to have Jones headline that particular event isn’t based around the possibility he could potentially compete for a title and then immediately retire again afterwards.

Instead, White points to Jones’ checkered past as the reason why he can’t trust putting Jones at the top of such a historic show.

“It’s not even about him winning the belt,” White said about Jones at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference. “You know how I felt about him. I just can’t risk putting him in big positions in a big spot and have something go wrong, especially the White House card.”

While Jones is widely considered the greatest fighter of all-time, it’s difficult to ignore the events that were altered by him not being able to compete.

White never forgot about Jones passing on a matchup against Chael Sonnen on short notice when his original opponent Dan Henderson got injured, which led to the cancellation of UFC 151.

In 2015, Jones was stripped of his title and suspended after he was involved in a hit-and-run car accident just weeks before he was scheduled to face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 187. Jones eventually returned and was then scheduled for a rematch against Daniel Cormier at UFC 200, but that fight was scrapped after Jones tested positive for a banned substance.

More recently, Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle preparing for a fight against Stipe Miocic, which led to their matchup being delayed by a full year before it actually happened.

That history weighs heavy on White’s mind when it comes to Jones potentially returning to action and headlining an event like the one planned for the White House during the America 250 celebration in 2026.

White doubled down on not addressing any fights or fighters for that card because it’s too early to start planning for the lineup. For now, White is staying focused on the logistics of how to stage a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House and he’ll worry about matchmaking at a much later date.

“That fight’s a year away,” White said. “So I’m not thinking about anything right now. The landscape will change so much by next 4th of July, who knows what’s going to happen. Who knows who’s going to be on the card. What the main event will be or who will hold all the titles. Everything could be completely different so it’s not even worth thinking about it right now.”