Jon Jones Just Asked for His UFC Release and This Whole Situation Is a Mess

Jon Jones posted something yesterday that I honestly never thought I'd see from him. The GOAT just asked for his release from the UFC on X. In public. After Dana White went on a press conference and basically said Jones was never even close to being on the White House card and implied the man is done fighting.

And look, I've been saying for a while now that I wanted to see Jones come back. He's the greatest fighter to ever do this. That's not debatable to me. But this whole situation between him and Dana has gotten ugly fast and both sides are telling completely different stories, so let me walk through what actually happened because there's a lot to unpack here.

What Dana Said

At the UFC 326 post-fight press conference on Saturday, Dana was asked about Jones not being on the Freedom Fights 250 card. And he did not hold back.

"Never ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousand times, was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House," Dana said. He brought up the Meta Glasses footage of Jones talking about how bad his hips are. He brought up the flag football game where Jones could barely run. He said Jones retired because of his hips, has arthritis, and that doctors are saying he needs a hip replacement.

Then he admitted that the UFC brass did talk to Jones at some point but said he personally texted Jones' lawyer and told him "never gonna happen, ever." He called the whole situation "bullshit." And at the Zuffa Boxing 4 presser on Sunday he doubled down on everything and said it was "very fair" to call Jones retired for good.

That's pretty harsh. Even by Dana standards that's harsh. Especially toward a guy who has been with the promotion for almost 20 years and is widely considered the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

What Jones Said

Then Jones dropped a long post on X today responding to all of it. And this is where things get interesting because his version of events is very different from what Dana said.

Jones said his team was in real negotiations with the UFC for the White House card. Not casual conversations. Real negotiations. He said he came down from his original number and the UFC lowballed him in return. He acknowledged the arthritis in his hip but said that doesn't mean he can't fight and pointed out something that I think is a really fair question. If he had accepted the lowball offer, would his hip suddenly be fine? Would they have booked him then? Because that logic doesn't track.

He said he got stem cell treatment last week specifically to get ready for the White House card. His training camp was supposed to start today. He was preparing. He was ready.

And then he said the part that really hit. He said as recently as Friday the UFC was calling him trying to get him on the card for a much lower number. Friday. As in the day before the card was announced. So either the UFC was negotiating with Jones up until the last minute or somebody's not telling the truth, and those are the only two options.

He ended it by saying if the UFC truly thinks he's done, he respectfully asks to be released from his contract. "No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what's up. Bones out."

He also posted some stuff on his live and in deleted tweets that was a little more heated. The X post that stayed up was pretty measured and respectful honestly. But you could tell the man is hurt by this.

So What Actually Happened? Helwani Has the Receipts

Here's where it gets real clear. Ariel Helwani confirmed that Jones is telling the truth. Negotiations happened. They were real. The two sides just couldn't agree on money.

Helwani reported that Jones wanted something close to what he was offered to fight Tom Aspinall last year, which was around $30 million. The UFC was more comfortable offering something closer to what they paid Conor Benn for his one fight Zuffa Boxing deal, which was $15 million.

So the gap was basically $30 million versus $15 million. And that was the impasse. That's why Jones isn't on the card. Not because of his hips. Not because Dana never considered him. Because they couldn't agree on the number.

And Helwani didn't hold back on his opinion about it either. He said "I think they took these guys for fools" and pointed out that if Conor Benn is worth $15 million for a catchweight boxing fight, then Jon Jones is worth way more than that for a superfight at the White House. He also backed Jones by saying "Jones is 100% right. They did talk. They did negotiate. They just didn't close the deal. Not sure why Dana said otherwise yesterday."

That's a pretty damning confirmation that what Dana said at the press conference wasn't the full picture.

And Then Aspinall Defended Jones. Which Nobody Saw Coming.

This might be the craziest part of this whole thing. Tom Aspinall, the current UFC heavyweight champion, the guy who spent over a year trying to get Jones to fight him, the guy who Jones arguably ducked before retiring, went on Helwani's show and defended Jones.

"This is going to probably be crazy to a lot of people listening, but why is the UFC not giving Jon the respect he deserves financially?" Aspinall said. "If anyone should be getting paid a lot in this sport, it should be Jon Jones for the stuff that he's done."

And then he dropped the line that made the whole MMA world stop for a second. "They offered him $30 million to fight me. So why have they not offered it again? I don't understand."

That's the heavyweight champion publicly questioning why the UFC won't pay the GOAT what he's worth. And he's right to ask that. If Jones was worth $30 million to fight Aspinall last year, why is he suddenly worth half that for a superfight at the White House? What changed?

My Take on This

Okay so real talk for a second and I want to be careful here because I have a lot of respect for both of these guys.

Jon Jones is the GOAT. I've said it a hundred times on this site and I'll say it again. What he did across light heavyweight and heavyweight is the greatest career in the history of this sport. And if you look at what he's saying here, the logic makes sense. He was negotiating, he came down from his number, the UFC tried to lowball him, and then Dana went on a press conference and acted like Jones was never even in the conversation. That's not a great look when multiple reporters are confirming that negotiations were happening.

But I also love Dana and I respect what he's built with the UFC. And I get his side of this too even if I don't agree with how he handled it publicly. Jones has a history. The pullouts, the legal stuff, the retirement that lasted two weeks. When you're putting together the most expensive card in UFC history on the White House lawn, you want guys you can count on. Jones has not always been that guy and Dana has earned the right to be cautious about it.

What I don't get is the public dismissal. If the negotiation fell apart over money, just say that. "We couldn't agree on the number" is a perfectly reasonable thing to say. Going out there and saying Jones was "never ever" in the conversation when multiple people can confirm he was? That just makes the whole thing messier than it needs to be. And it forces Jones into a corner where he has to defend himself publicly, which is what we're seeing now.

The $15 million offer thing is also hard to defend. If Conor Benn is getting $15 million for a Zuffa Boxing fight, Jon Jones, the greatest MMA fighter who ever lived, should be getting more than that for a superfight on the White House lawn. Aspinall is right about that. Helwani is right about that. And I think most fans watching this unfold know it too.

I don't think the UFC will release Jones. And I don't think Jones actually wants to be released. This feels like a negotiation tactic dressed up as a public breakup. Both sides are posturing. But the relationship between Jones and Dana might genuinely be at its lowest point ever, and that's saying something considering everything these two have been through over the years.

I hope they work it out. Because the sport is better when Jon Jones is fighting. And the White House card would've been a lot better with him on it. That part isn't even debatable.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

FAQ

Why isn't Jon Jones on the UFC White House card?

Jones and the UFC could not agree on a price. According to Ariel Helwani, Jones wanted around $30 million while the UFC offered approximately $15 million. Dana White publicly stated that Jones was "never ever" in consideration for the card, but multiple reports confirm negotiations took place.

Did Jon Jones ask for his UFC release?

Yes. On March 9, 2026, Jones posted on X requesting to be released from his contract, saying "If the UFC truly feels like I'm done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today. No more spins, no more games."

How much was Jon Jones offered for the White House card?

According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC offered Jones approximately $15 million, similar to what Conor Benn received for his Zuffa Boxing deal. Jones wanted closer to $30 million, which is what he was offered to fight Tom Aspinall in 2025.

Does Jon Jones have hip problems?

Jones has acknowledged he has arthritis in his hip, which Dana White has cited as a reason for not booking him. However, Jones revealed he received stem cell treatment and was preparing to begin training camp, insisting the arthritis would not prevent him from fighting.

Did Tom Aspinall defend Jon Jones?

Yes. Aspinall appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and questioned why the UFC wasn't paying Jones what he deserves, saying "They offered him $30 million to fight me, so why have they not offered it again?" He called the situation "crazy."

What did Dana White say about Jon Jones?

At the UFC 326 post-fight press conference, White said Jones was "never ever, ever" in his mind for the White House card. He cited Jones' hip arthritis, reliability concerns, and past legal issues as reasons. He later admitted some conversations happened but insisted the fight was never going to materialize.