MMA Knockout

Dana White Refutes Instagram Post Suggesting UFC Heavyweight Champ Jon Jones Will Not Fight Tom Aspinall

UFC CEO Dana White lurked in the comments of a popular MMA Instagram account, confirming the plan for heavyweight champion Jon Jones' next fight

Zain Bando

Mar 4, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC president Dana White (left) greets fighter Jon Jones during a press conference prior to weigh-ins for UFC 196 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mar 4, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC president Dana White (left) greets fighter Jon Jones during a press conference prior to weigh-ins for UFC 196 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

UFC CEO Dana White had time to respond on social media Tuesday night, dropping a bombshell plan regarding heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his next opponent.

Under a month removed from Jones' TKO stoppage win against former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, White is keen on booking a fight to unify the heavyweight titles. This would see Jones face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who already has his own title defense under his belt.

In an Instagram post from Kareem Elnashar, he relayed the news (courtesy of Ariel Helwani) that Turki Alalshikh was potentially working on a fight between Jones and PFL Super Fight champion Francis Ngannou with the help of PFL brass.

White shot that claim down almost immediately to the excitement of the comments section.

"Absolutely NOT true," White wrote. "Jon [Jones] vs. Tom [Aspinall is next]

At press time, the comment has since exploded with over 2,000 likes. This prompted Elnashar to make another post shouting out White for clearing the situation up.

White replied to a fan's comment that the UFC CEO was not keeping his word by making the best fights possible.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," White said regarding his intention to book Jones vs. Aspinall in 2025.

A timetable for the fight has not been revealed. However, Jones confirmed a potential return for next year, while Aspinall is doing the same.

Jones had not fought in over a year prior to his return against Miocic, suffering a pectoral injury in the weeks leading up to the original date last November. Jones won the then-vacant heavyweight title in March 2023, ending a three-year hiatus from the sport where he dominated the light heavyweight division as champion for the better part of nine years.

It's safe to assume that the UFC's biggest fight is closer to being finalized.

Read More UFC & MMA News


Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing, WWE, and AEW. Follow MMA Knockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Published
Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

Home/News