Jon Jones Given Clear Strategy to Regain Dana White’s Trust for UFC White House Card

For a fighter who hung up his gloves for good, Jon Jones couldn’t stay away from the sport too long. The White House card was simply too enticing an opportunity to miss. To commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, the White House is set to host a UFC event on the South Lawn in July 2026. And while past presidents have chosen the grounds of ‘President’s Palace’ for less ambitious sporting events, like tennis matches (Warren G. Harding) or T-ball (George W. Bush), Donald Trump shares a special equation with the UFC and Dana White.

And so, ‘Bones’ tried his best to insert himself into talks about this card. White simply shut down the discussion. Though Jones was one of the biggest names in the promotion, his multiple run-ins with the law and the fact that he also failed drug tests made it difficult for White to trust him. But his former rival, Chael Sonnen, seems to have a solution. In his latest YouTube video, he stated:

“I am not a hater on Jon Jones wanting to participate in a sport that he’s participated in for his entire professional life. I just don’t know what it means when he says, ‘I’m willing to show and prove to Dana White that I want that opportunity.’ … I think it’s incumbent that something happen prior to that event.

“Example, ‘Dana, I will fight Derrick Lewis. It won’t be a title fight, so it probably won’t even be a main event fight. And I’m not going to skin you for pay-per-view points or ask for any exceptions. We’re going to look right at my contract. I’m going to give you three rounds as opposed to the five that I’m usually giving you. I’m going to take one step down on the card, which is demoting myself and showing my humility. And believe it or not, I’m going to do something really unusual, I’m going to honor the contract that I have’.”

The strategy emphasizes reliability, respect for contract obligations, and a willingness to give up personal benefits for the greater picture. After all, Jones himself claims he is putting in the work to make a compelling case. Speaking to USA TODAY Sports at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, he stated it was his goal to show White how serious he was about the event. But didn’t he retire in June?

With his retirement announcement, MMA fans lost all hope of Jones versus Aspinall ever happening. Many believe the veteran ducked the Englishman. But during the MTV VMAs, the fighter said, “I am not retired.” If anything, he was busy training five days a week and even entered the drug testing pool. The White House card is so bewitching that even Conor McGregor tried calling his shots.

Interesting Fact: MMA was once banned in 36 states, but will soon get a White House stage.

As the White House event approaches, all eyes will be on Jones’ ability to mix performance with professionalism. But even if he manages to convince Dana White, Chael Sonnen is still unconvinced as to why ‘Bones’ is making a return in the first place.

Chael Sonnen questions Jon Jones’ potential comeback

While Jon Jones focuses on winning Dana White’s trust for the White House card, Chael Sonnen is suspicious of his return. ‘The American Gangster’ sees heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall as the ultimate test, suggesting that if ‘Bones’ doesn’t intend to face him, his comeback is meaningless.

Fans and the promotion have long awaited Jones to settle unfinished business in the heavyweight division. Hence, a day ago, Sonnen said on his Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, “If Jon says that he’s back and he was never injured, he was never ill… he just didn’t want to fight Tom Aspinall. That’s a little weird. He’s playing this as though that retirement never happened. If you’re coming back, what are you coming back for?”

For Sonnen, returning without the Aspinall fight feels incomplete and raises suspicions about Jones’ true motivations. It looks like ‘Bones’ simply wants to fight on the White House card. After all, who wouldn’t want to? What do you think?