The Jon Jones-Tom Aspinall saga has evolved into MMA’s most maddening ghost story—a potential super fight that haunts the heavyweight division without materializing. As the Englishman is waiting in the wings with an interim title defense against Curtis Blaydes under his belt, Jones continues his masterclass in strategic absence, deploying a complex array of contract demands, “retirement” threats, and carefully worded social media posts that somehow never commit to facing the British wrecking ball. Fan resentment has crystallized into open hostility, with many alleging that the consensus MMA GOAT is not ready for the next generation.

Behind this melodrama lies the cold calculus of UFC economics, where Dana White tries to navigate Jones’ demands against a challenger who represents maximum risk for potentially minimal reward. As time moves on, fans’ hopes of witnessing the long-awaited title unification bout are slowly diminishing. Earlier this month, the Albuquerque native had fans on edge with the announcement of his “next fight.” However, it turned out to be a campaign focused on the “health care system” and patient rights for a non-profit organization, a far cry from what fans had been anticipating.

The most recent official update came last month from UFC CEO Dana White, who stated, “One hundred percent, if we don’t get the fight done, we move on and make another fight…We’re working on lots of stuff right now. There’s lots of really good sh-t going on right now. There’s no situation. It’s the biggest fight we can make.”

The last official word from the UFC was vague, but recently, an Instagram MMA page called ‘Elusive Combat’ hinted at a possible announcement, stating, “Breaking: Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is in the works for UFC 317 during International Fight Week.” The source mentioned Dana White, but it remains uncertain whether he officially confirmed the fight. ‘Bones’ caught wind of the post and commented, “How cool would that be?”—adding more fuel to the ongoing speculation. As for UFC 317, it’s reportedly scheduled to take place on June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada.

Meanwhile, Jon Jones’ most recent appearance in the Octagon came in November 2024, where he defended his heavyweight title against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic, finishing the bout with a stunning spinning back kick in the third round. Initially, the Albuquerque native wanted to face UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira next.

However, White quickly dismissed the matchup, saying, “No f—ing way.” Subsequently, White opened the door for Jones to fight ‘Poatan’—but with a condition. Let’s find out!

What’s Dana White’s condition for making the Alex Pereira vs. Jon Jones heavyweight clash?

“No, you know what tonight told me? That there’s no fuc—g way I would make the [Jon Jones] versus Alex Pereira fight… Jon’s too big, a great wrestler did you see how he took Stipe down in that first round?” These harsh words from UFC CEO Dana White marked his initial dismissal of the ‘Bones’ vs. Alex Pereira matchup, focusing on the size and style differences between the two fighters.

However, despite White’s initial reluctance, both Jon Jones and Alex Pereira have expressed a strong desire to face each other. Many fans see it as an exciting “fun fight,” one they’re eager to pay for—a “red p—y night,” as White himself later acknowledged. Eventually, Dana White softened his stance on the potential fight. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show last year, White laid out a condition for the bout: “If Jon Jones retires on Saturday, Tom Aspinall would be the heavyweight champion… [But] if he [stays] and beats Tom Aspinall [in the title unification fight], then yes, I would do the Alex Pereira fight.”

However, the pressure isn’t only on the Albuquerque native to defend his title against Tom Aspinall. For the longest time, Pereira also faced significant pressure from fans and MMA pundits to put his 205lbs title on the line against his long-time rival, Magomed Ankalaev. Their fight is now officially set for next month at UFC 313.

With ‘Poatan’s fight now scheduled, the next key question is when Dana White and the UFC will announce Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, which would then clear the way for the much-anticipated Jones vs. Pereira clash. Stay tuned for further updates.