When Dana White officially unveiled the White House lineup during the UFC 326 broadcast, fans were thrilled to see Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira booked in high-stakes title fights on a historic card. Pereira, in particular, is chasing history as he moves up to heavyweight in pursuit of becoming the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion.
The Brazilian is set to face Ciryl Gane for the interim 265-pound title, with undisputed champion Tom Aspinall currently sidelined due to a double eye surgery. However, the announcement quickly sparked debate, as many expected Jon Jones to be matched up against Pereira instead of Gane. Addressing the speculation, White offered a blunt response, stating that Jones was never in consideration for the Freedom 250 card due to his arthritis-plagued hip and lack of reliability, suggesting the former 2-division champion is effectively retired from the promotion.
Jones, however, has strongly pushed back. Taking to social media, ‘Bones’ delivered a fiery response that reignited debate across the MMA community, while also calling for his unconditional release from the promotion. He didn’t stop there either, as Jones has since taken things a step further by revealing alleged behind-the-scenes details surrounding the failed negotiations for the fight.
According to Jones, the UFC offered him $15 million to compete on the White House card in June, but he felt the figure undervalued a potential superfight with Pereira. He wrote on X, “Was ready, willing, and physically able to step in. I was willing to take substantially less than the Aspinall ask but they wouldn’t budge one dollar over $15m. I felt like our fight was worth more.”
was ready, willing and physically able to step in. I was willing to take substantially less than the Aspinall ask but they wouldn’t budge one dollar over $15m. I felt like our fight was worth more. https://t.co/u9ISd2bD07
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) March 21, 2026
While White has maintained that Jones was never truly in the mix to headline the event, Jones insists discussions did take place. That claim was further backed by veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, who also indicated that negotiations between the two sides were indeed real.
From Jones’ perspective, the sticking point was financial. The former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion claims the promotion wasn’t willing to go beyond $15 million for a showdown with Pereira. While that figure is significant, it reportedly falls way short of the $30 million Jones was offered for a heavyweight title unification bout against Aspinall in 2025, a fight he ultimately declined.
As is often the case, the UFC does not publicly disclose fighter purses, making it difficult to fully verify those figures. Regardless, Jones will not be part of the White House card, and the promotion has instead moved forward with Pereira vs. Gane for interim gold.
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.