Last week, Dana White sent shockwaves through the MMA world by announcing that Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg will compete for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 327. The decision also opened the door for Alex Pereira to pursue his long-desired move to heavyweight in hopes of capturing a third UFC title. Interestingly, the Brazilian may already have the perfect opponent waiting. After stepping away from competition following UFC Baku last year, Jon Jones appeared to have his fighting future settled.
However, the announcement of the planned UFC White House card reignited the former champion’s interest in returning to the Octagon. Since then, ‘Bones’ has repeatedly urged White to book a showdown with Pereira on June 14. Those requests initially stalled due to Jones’ previous issues and lingering contract complications surrounding a prior unification clash with Tom Aspinall. Still, the situation may be turning in Jones’ favor, as he recently revealed that he is back at the negotiating table for the historic event.
Jon Jones Says Negotiations with the UFC for White House Card Are Back On
In recent months, Dana White appeared unwilling to welcome Jon Jones back to the Octagon after the former champion stepped away from negotiations for a heavyweight title unification bout against Tom Aspinall and instead announced his retirement.
The UFC CEO even stated publicly that he could not rely on Jones owing to his past stalling for such a monumental event. The situation seemed to worsen when Jones disclosed at the DBX 5 event that he is dealing with severe arthritis in his hip, an issue that many believed would end any hopes of him competing on the historic card.
But that may not be the case just yet. On Saturday evening, Jones participated in a meet-and-greet at The Brook Casino, where he spoke with fans about his fighting future. During the appearance, Jones revealed that discussions with the promotion are still ongoing regarding a potential fight on the historic summer card.
He said, “I’m in negotiations with the UFC about this White House thing, as well. I’m a very, very, very proud American, and I cannot wait to represent one more time. So, we’ll see what happens.”
🚨 Jon Jones reveals he’s in talks to fight on the UFC White House card 👀
“I’m in negotiations with the UFC about this White House [fight] as well. I’m a very proud American, and I cannot wait to represent one more time.” pic.twitter.com/5dySHjvDc4
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 1, 2026
ALSO READ: Max Holloway Open to Conor McGregor Rematch for Historic UFC White House Event
Jones’ comments come shortly after Pereira vacated the light heavyweight title and amid internal reporting from veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. According to him, UFC officials have already discussed the possibility of staging a Pereira vs. Jones superfight at the White House card.
While there is no overwhelming momentum suggesting the bout is guaranteed to materialize, the matchup is reportedly still alive. If the UFC is ultimately unable to finalize terms with Jones for the White House event, the promotion is said to have a contingency plan in place.
Ariel Helwani says there have been some talks of Alex Pereira fighting Jon Jones on the White House card:
‘There have been some talks of that. I think that would be a tremendous White House main event. I don’t know if they ultimately get it done. And I think if they don’t get it… pic.twitter.com/jEBaoJSfY6
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) February 28, 2026
In that scenario, Pereira would face Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title in the absence of undisputed king Tom Aspinall, who is out recovering from a double eye surgery suffered by a vicious eye poke at UFC 321.
Such a bout would still give ‘Poatan’ the opportunity to become the first fighter in UFC history to capture championships in three different weight classes. That said, many fight fans would undoubtedly prefer to see Pereira attempt that historic feat against Jones rather than Gane.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.