After Daniel Cormier, New UFC Veteran Vouches for Jon Jones at White House Card

Matt Brown believes that former UFC double champion Jon Jones is the best pick for the UFC White House card over other options.

After Daniel Cormier, New UFC Veteran Vouches for Jon Jones at White House Card

Jon Jones receives support from Matt Brown for the UFC White House (via Playoffs, MMA Fighting)

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The UFC’s highly anticipated White House card continues to stir debate as new voices weigh in on who should represent the promotion on such a historic stage. One name that has been linked to this card is undoubtedly former double champion Jon Jones. While there have been doubts regarding his potential return to the card, fighters such as Matt Brown have also termed him the best pick.

UFC CEO Dana White had spoken out regarding his mistrust of allowing Jones to fight on the card due to his history of being irresponsible. However, Jones’ former rival and UFC legend Daniel Cormier had come to his support and termed him the best fighter to represent America on the card. Cormier believed that a fight against heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall would add more weight, as a title would be on the line.

Brown has been a UFC mainstay known for his no-nonsense approach and brutally honest takes. He recently weighed in on whether Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler would be a good fight for the White House card. The 44-year-old did not hold back and called the fight “completely irrelevant.” He instead believed that a return for Jones against Aspinall would make a perfect main event.

Jon Jones brings a lot to the table. The GOAT, and he’d be fighting for a title, I’m sure, against Tom Aspinall. Assuming that Aspinall beats Ciryl Gane, too. This fight hasn’t happened yet. That could be a game-changer, too. If you want an American, you’ve got to go with Jon Jones. There’s no one else that I can think of that would be legitimate enough.

Matt Brown via MMA Fighting

However, Brown also realized that the McGregor vs Chandler fight would be advertised way more. He believed that the event was of utmost rarity, and the UFC wants to make it a spectacle for the audience. Brown recognized McGregor as one of the reasons for the UFC’s success, but dismissed the Irishman’s presence at the UFC White House as uninteresting due to the low stakes surrounding his return.

Matt Brown’s comments highlighted that he wanted to see a title fight between Jones and Aspinall. However, Jones’ failure to make that superfight is what put him in the bad books of the UFC CEO. Aspinall had called out Jones after UFC 304 when ‘Bones’ was holding heavyweight gold. Despite being the interim champion, Aspinall was ignored by Jones, who went on to fight Stipe Miocic and finally retired.

Jon Jones backtracked on his retirement as soon as the White House event was announced, but his bid was ignored by Aspinall and the MMA community alike. While his career has been marred by controversies and lengthy layoffs, these comments supporting Jon Jones prove his lasting mark on the sport. Matt Brown’s stance reinforces the idea that this event should be reserved for bouts that define eras.

Matt Brown believes Jon Jones should not be snubbed out of the GOAT conversation

Jon Jones has long been one of the most dominant figures in UFC history. However, repeated positive tests for banned substances have fueled scrutiny and criticism from both fans and analysts. These controversies have often overshadowed his in-cage accomplishments, leading many to exclude him from GOAT conversations despite his lengthy list of title defenses and victories over elite opponents.

Matt Brown on Jon Jones
Matt Brown on Jon Jones (via MiddleEasy, MMA Fighting)

Despite this scrutiny, some veterans of the sport continue to recognize Jones’ impact and skill level. Matt Brown recently highlighted that Jon Jones was often competing against fighters who themselves had performance-enhancing substances in their systems. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Brown named many of Jones’ opponents, including Vitor Belfort, who tested positive for banned substances.

He [Jones] was dominating everybody during the TRT era. Like the Vitor, at 2000 test levels, he did it during that era. Like we could say almost factually that he was fighting guys that were on steroids, I mean, you can’t say that he wasn’t the best ever. But when you start getting into like who did steroids and who didn’t, like it’s basically all opinion at that point.

Matt Brown via MMA Fighting

Matt Brown’s perspective emphasized that evaluating fighters like Jon Jones required nuance, acknowledging both the blemishes on his record and his undeniable talent. While his transgressions cannot be ignored, many argue that his technical prowess, adaptability, and sustained success merit consideration alongside other all-time greats.

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