‘Jon Jones has agreed to fight Tom Aspinall,’ says Dana White

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White has claimed that Jon Jones has agreed to fight Tom Aspinall but has not signed yet. 

The highly anticipated bout between Aspinall and Jones has been in talks for quite some time, and White has validated it after claiming that it will occur this year.

Jones won the vacant heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 in March 2023 and has only defended the belt once—against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024.

Meanwhile, Aspinall won the interim title by stopping Sergei Pavlovich, when Jones was injured and then successfully defended it in July 2024. 

Notably, Aspinall has repeatedly called Jones for a unification bout but the American seems less forthcoming, teasing fans on social media and hinting at retirement.

Britain's Aspinall has been the interim champion for 18 months but has been passed over by Jones.

The UFC CEO White has been telling the media that the most anticipated fight between Jones and Aspinall will happen, and now he has given a reason for it.

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve been saying it since the beginning. Jon Jones agreed to do the fight. So, Jon Jones was offered the deal and accepted the deal. Jon agreed to fight Tom, yes. [But he hasn’t signed a contract],” White told reporters after UFC 316 on Saturday night.

“I mean, you guys have heard me for the last however long. I said I guarantee you this fight’s going to happen, fight’s going to happen.

“You guys told me the crazy fight that was going on on Instagram and all these other places. But yes, I’ve been saying [that] Jon is going to fight Tom.”

Meanwhile, the fans are frustrated over the situation, with Jones at times hinting that he might retire rather than fighting, however, White has advised them not to take the hints too seriously.