Jon Jones Refuses to Fade Away Amid UFC White House Buzz as Fans Urge Him to “Stay Retired”

Some people just don’t know when to walk away—and former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones seems determined to prove that point. The 38-year-old hasn’t competed since his dominant victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024. Yet despite the twists and turns surrounding his future, ‘Bones’ continues to leave the door open for a return.

Ciryl Gane, whom Jones defeated in March 2023 at UFC 285, is set for his interim title fight against Alex Pereira on the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House South Lawn on Sunday. And ahead of his fight, he appeared in an interview with TNT Sports UFC, where he made some interesting comments. 

When asked who is the best fighter in the UFC right now, the French heavyweight named Jon Jones. He repeated Jones’ name when asked about the best UFC fighter of all time. This interview quickly attracted Jones’ attention on social media, and he took to his Instagram story to share a message, suggesting he continues to refuse to fade away. 

“Still on the roster, still capable of making the biggest fights on the globe,” Jones wrote. “I appreciate you keeping it real.”

Jon Jones says he’s still open to being part of “the biggest fights on the globe” in the UFC pic.twitter.com/KaI3H9ATCc

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 13, 2026

Jones might appreciate Gane’s praise, but his actions make it difficult to justify calling him the best fighter in the UFC today. The strongest argument against that claim is his refusal to fight Tom Aspinall, even after reportedly being offered a staggering $30 million for the bout. No fighter has ever earned that much from a single UFC fight—and that alone raises questions about his standing at the top.

Instead, Jones chose to retire last year. He only reversed course when the possibility of competing on the White House card emerged, against a fighter making his heavyweight debut, Alex Pereira. And it’s not as if the UFC failed to make him a lucrative offer. According to Ariel Helwani, Jones was offered $15 million to fight Pereira, but he turned it down.

Now, he has returned to retirement while continuing to make bold claims. From a health perspective, the best fighter label is also harder to defend. Jones has admitted to suffering from arthritis in his hip, a condition serious enough to make him a candidate for hip replacement surgery. 

But perhaps the strongest argument against Jones’ claim is his history of failed drug tests, having tested positive for banned substances on multiple occasions. Prominent MMA voices such as Ariel Helwani and Brendan Schaub have also argued that ‘Bones’ is no longer the best fighter in the UFC. Others point to his controversial win over Dominick Reyes as evidence that he was never quite as untouchable as his supporters claim.

Instead, Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson are often mentioned in the GOAT conversation. Those choices carry weight. While both men suffered defeats during their careers, neither was ever linked to PED violations. Regardless, when Championship Rounds shared Jones’ latest comments on X, many fans responded by urging the former champion to stay retired.

Jon Jones’ time has passed, say fans

Having waited years for his return, fans have finally given up. Instead, they don’t want him to come back. “Jon Jones needs to let it go. The UFC management [doesn’t] like him, and his body is aging bad[ly]. It’s not worth it,” one fan posted. UFC CEO Dana White openly claimed that he doesn’t trust Jones enough to put him on the White House card. 

Someone else mocked Jones’ retirement. “Same guy who’s said he’s retired like 4 times by now ,” the fan wrote. Although he has officially retired only twice, the humongous gaps in his resume at the tail end of his career make it seem like that. 

Another user urged Jon Jones to make a decision and stick to it. “The heavyweight division is moving forward with or without him. Either fight or stay retired,” the user commented. With Alex Pereira’s debut and Josh Hokit hogging the spotlight, the division may have its new stars. 

The next user claimed Jon Jones needs to realize the reality of his situation. “Jon Jones needs to accept that his time as the heavyweight king has passed,” the user remarked. But there’s a good chance Jones doesn’t really intend to fight again and is just writing things to get attention. 

Despite all the criticism, there were supporters of Jones’ return. “Give him Pereira after he beats Gane,” the user proposed. Daniel Cormier recently revealed that Alex Pereira is making $10 million from the Ciryl Gane fight. If the Brazilian wins and faces Jones, hypothetically, there’s a lot of money to be made for both parties. 

Going by Jon Jones’ track record, he may still be teasing a UFC comeback when he’s 60. But, as things stand, another return appears highly unlikely. That’s not to say it can’t happen—only that it’s unlikely to happen on the financial terms Jones seems to be seeking. 

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