It took 9 and a half minutes for Dana White to deliver up Jon Jones’ resolution to retire on the UFC Baku post-fight press convention, and there wasn’t a complete lot of follow-up questions requested by the Azerbaijani media concerning the topic. Luckily, members of the MMA media caught as much as White in New York Metropolis for the Canelo vs. Crawford launch presser to probe the UFC CEO on the scenario.
White didn’t have many extra solutions to offer, however he did verify {that a} combat between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall had been verbally agreed to for November 2025 at Madison Sq. Backyard.
“The combat was executed. We had the combat executed a very long time in the past,” White mentioned throughout a media scrum (video through The Mac Life). “So why he determined to not combat, you guys must ask him that.”
“These are all questions you gotta ask him,” he mentioned of Jones’ causes for retiring. “We had the combat executed. You noticed me speaking about it very confidently that this combat was gonna occur. After which he modified his thoughts.”
“So he referred to as us and simply began saying, ‘You understand what? I believe I’m executed. I wanna retire and it’s been an important run, I recognize every thing,’ and that was it. He was completely positively certain that he wished to retire. And we mentioned, ‘Why don’ you sleep on it and whenever you get up within the morning, if that’s how you continue to really feel….”
Information broke hours after Jones’ retirement announcement that the previous heavyweight champ was dealing with new felony costs over a hit-and-run scenario from February — the small print of that are unusual and disturbing. Leaving the scene of an accident is only a misdemeanor, however the ugly truths revealed by the case might significantly affect his household life.
White didn’t know concerning the newest felony costs when he spoke to Jones.
At present, I’m formally asserting my retirement from the UFC. This resolution comes after a whole lot of reflection, and I need to take a second to precise my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve skilled over time.
From the primary time I stepped into the Octagon, my purpose was to…
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 22, 2025
“Once I noticed it right this moment, I mentioned, ‘Oh, all people’s gonna assume because of this he retired,’” he mentioned. “Possibly that’s the reason he retired. Who the hell is aware of, man?”
As for the claims that Jones retired to keep away from preventing Aspinall?
“I mentioned it one million instances and I’ll say it once more,” White mentioned. “He’s by no means ducked anyone apart from that one goofy time with the Chael Sonnen factor. He’s by no means by no means ducked anyone. The fact is, no matter modified his thoughts with this combat, I don’t know. You’d must ask him that. However he’s 38 years previous, and I don’t know.”
“You by no means know what Jon Jones is coping with, and then you definately get up the following day [and see the news],” White concluded. “So who is aware of? I imply, I don’t know every thing that went into this resolution. It’s one thing you guys are gonna must ask him should you ever see him once more.”
“All I do know is that he made it very clear that he wished to retire, and I don’t disagree with him.”
