Dana White lays out Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall fight plan with Alex Pereira twist
Jon Jones will return to the Octagon this summer to fight Tom Aspinall, according to UFC president Dana White.
White also confirmed there is 'no doubt' that Alex Pereira, who defends his light heavyweight title this weekend at UFC 313, could fight the winner.
The UFC are pushing for Jones to defend his heavyweight title against Tom Aspinall this year following his stoppage victory over Stipe Miocic last November.
It is a fight MMA fans have been clambering for since the Mancunian picked up the interim belt in 2023.
However, Aspinall insists Jones is holding up the bout.
“Where we’re at right now is, I have spoken to the UFC on multiple occasions on this fight,” Aspinall said in a video uploaded to his .
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“I’m chasing it. I want the fight. I’ve been on record and said that I want the fight. I’ve been on the phone with the UFC saying, ‘I want the fight. When’s it happening?’
"I want the fight more than anyone. What is holding it up right now is his side. That’s the truth of it. The UFC really, really want the fight to happen."
After beating Miocic at UFC 309, Jones told assembled media at his post-fight press conference that he isn't interested in facing Aspinall and would rather square off against UFC light-heavyweight champion Pereira.
Yet White assured ESPN's Stephen A. Smith during a recent appearance on the network that Jones will 'fight anyone'.
"Jones will fight anyone, don't let the internet fool you about Jon Jones," he said.
White then went on to reveal when he expects Jones to be back in action.
Brazilian fan-favourite Pereira defends his light heavyweight strap in the main event of UFC 313 on Saturday night against Magomed Ankalaev.
After Jones defeated Miocic in November, White said 'there's no f***ing way' he would make the fight with Pereira, although he later added if both men 'hounded' him he would 'maybe' do it.
"Pereira wants to [fight Jones]," White told Rowe. "But let's see how this fight [with Ankalaev] plays out.
"If he wins, how he wins and all that kind of stuff.
UFC Men's Pound-For-Pound Top Rank
Best of the best
- Islam Makhachev (lightweight champion)
- Jon Jones (heavyweight champion)
- Alex Pereira (light heavyweight champion)
- Ilia Topuria
- Merab Dvalishvili (bantamweight champion)
- Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight champion)
- Belal Muhammad (welterweight champion)
- Tom Aspinall (interim heavyweight champion)
- Leon Edwards
- Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight champion)
- Alexander Volkanovski
- Max Holloway
- Sean O'Malley
- Charles Oliveira
- Sean Strickland
"But the fight that everybody wants to see right now is Jones and Aspinall, and there’s no doubt that Pereira could fight the winner. "
If Jones refuses to face Aspinall, then White has already insisted he will strip the future Hall of Famer of his heavyweight crown.
But the MMA mogul has remained steadfast throughout that it shouldn't come to that.
Should Pereira defeat Ankalaev at UFC 313, there's no doubt his next move is likely to come in the heavyweight division against either Jones or Aspinall.
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Pereira is currently the third-ranked best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, behind Jones and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who is first.
Aspinall has been the number one contender to the UFC heavyweight strap for over one year now and MMA fans around the world are eagerly awaiting White to announced his next fight.