Jon Jones Reveals Facing Wrath of Dana White after Forcing to Cancel Entire Event

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones reveals the details about the fight cancellation at UFC 151 and his fight with Dana White.

Jon Jones Reveals Facing Wrath of Dana White after Forcing to Cancel Entire Event

Jon Jones reveals his dispute with Dana White (via MMA Fighting)

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Jon Jones has fought in the UFC for over sixteen years, dominating divisions and creating a legacy, only a few can truly match. Despite repeated controversies and suspensions, Jones retained his star power, becoming a consistent draw and a massive pay-per-view attraction. While he usually maintains a professional relationship with Dana White, there have been times when tensions have escalated behind closed doors.

Jones recently appeared on the FULL SEND PODCAST, where he opened up about several personal and professional topics. He admitted feeling unmotivated to fight Tom Aspinall currently, despite the rising pressure from fans and critics demanding that matchup. Jones also shared a moment when Dana White was furious after he withdrew from a scheduled fight at the last minute.

UFC 151, me refusing to fight Chael Sonnen — he just didn’t see the logic in it. I respect the process, and I have to show respect in the way that I do things. That pissed him off, though. I was supposed to fight Dan Henderson. He got injured, and I was supposed to fight Chael Sonnen instead. Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen are really good friends, and I didn’t want to put myself in any kind of disadvantage.

After UFC 151 was cancelled, White publicly blamed Jones, calling it one of the most selfish moves in UFC history. Jones is well known for taking his time to meticulously study his opponents by watching several videos before every single fight. The fighter doesn’t like to give his opponents any sense of advantage going into the fight under any circumstances.

Jones later admitted he was upset with his coaches, feeling they misadvised him and damaged his public support and overall reputation. ‘Bones’ eventually fought Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 and secured a dominant TKO victory in the very first round. However, since that moment, critics have continued accusing Jones of being afraid to accept high-risk fights on short notice.

UFC veteran talks about Jon Jones’ heavyweight delay

Since becoming the heavyweight champion in 2023, Jon Jones has defended his title only once against a top-ranked opponent. The fighter has consistently denied interim champion Tom Aspinall any opportunity to face him for the undisputed heavyweight championship title. As a result, the UK native feels he has wasted his prime years and currently finds himself extremely frustrated with the entire situation.

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall will probably take place soon
Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall will probably take place soon (via X)

White has frequently assured fans about this potential superfight, but the lack of clarity and development has made fans restless. Experts like Joe Rogan believe the continuous delay could eventually cause fans to lose interest in the highly anticipated matchup. However, according to Din Thomas, all the drama and uncertainty are actually helping build more hype and attention around it.

I think it’s marketing to keep it out there to make it even bigger… And I think that was done purposely. I think [Jones], he’s going to fight, he has to. There’s no way he goes this route and does all this and not fights. I think it’s all marketing to keep it out there, to make it even bigger and bigger and bigger and this is going to end up getting signed and it’s going to be the big fight that the UFC needs to close out the year.

Recently, UFC presenter Jon Anik revealed the promotion might be targeting the December card for the Jon Jones vs. Aspinall fight. But it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Jones decides to retire without ever fighting Aspinall and protecting his unbeaten legacy.