The Jon Jones retirement saga appears far from finished. At the UFC Baku post-fight press conference, Dana White officially announced Jones’ retirement and upgraded Tom Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight champion. Just a day later, ‘Bones’ himself confirmed the decision, declaring he was putting the gloves down for good. But in true Jones fashion, the story didn’t end there. Following Donald Trump’s blockbuster announcement that the UFC would visit the White House in 2026, the consensus MMA GOAT quickly backtracked.
Jones revealed he had re-entered the UFC’s drug testing pool and expressed a desire to represent his country at the historic event. He even declared his willingness to face whoever holds the heavyweight belt by then. However, White made it clear he was done playing along. The UFC president stated openly that he no longer trusts Jones to headline for the promotion, instead throwing his support behind Conor McGregor. And it seems White isn’t alone. Former middleweight title contender and outspoken analyst Chael Sonnen has echoed the boss’s stance in a bold take.
Chael Sonnen Calls Out Jon Jones for Avoiding Tom Aspinall and Shoots Down Comeback Claims
Jones recently appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards in a whole new cowboy look and spoke about his fighting career. He said, “I am not retired, I’m actively training five days a week and I’m in the UFC’s drug testing pool,” Jones said on the VMA red carpet.
He then added that it’s up to Dana White to decide if he wants him back inside the cage or not. “I don’t really know [about the White House card], it’s kind of out of my control right now. I’m training for the event, I’ll be ready for the event. That’s my goal. But ultimately, it’s up to the boss.”
This is after White claimed that there was a billion-to-one chance that Jones would ever return to the Octagon. And this is something Chael Sonnen supports, questioning Jones’ intentions to pick up the gloves again as he did not fight Aspinall when he had to in order to unify the 265lbs crown.
On a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, Chael Sonnen didn’t hold back when discussing Jon Jones’ latest return saga.
“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,” Sonnen said. “That’s the part to me that’s a little bit weird. He’s playing this as though that retirement never happened, as opposed to this is a comeback.”
Sonnen went on to question Jones’ true intentions and whether he is interested in fighting Aspinall or not. “If you’re coming back, what are you coming back for? What is it that you’re coming back to? And is it just an open slate to admit anything? Anyone except that guy, that guy over there in England… Anybody but him. Is that how we’re supposed to interpret this?”
He also dismissed Jones’ claims of training five times a week, pointing out that no one has publicly admitted to working with him. This isn’t the first time Sonnen has gone after Jones. The former champion hasn’t fought since UFC 309, when he defended the heavyweight title against a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic, despite Tom Aspinall being the clear No. 1 contender.
🚨 Jon Jones says he is NOT retired and is training 5 days a week for the UFC White House event
“I’m not retired, I’m actively training 5 days a week and I’m in the UFC’s drug testing pool…
I’m training for the [White House] event, I’ll be ready for the event… but… pic.twitter.com/dS6r3uBiYZ
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 8, 2025
His drawn-out negotiations for the Aspinall fight, followed by pulling out at the last moment, only added to the frustration for both fans and White.
Sonnen doubled down during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show just a few days ago. “It’s not going to be anyone that’s been retired,” Sonnen said.
He added, “No one is going to take those glorious spots, except for the people who earned them by showing their loyalty back to the industry, to the company. Jon does not deserve to have a main event spot on the White House card.”
While Sonnen’s stance may seem harsh, it’s rooted in fact. Jones nearly made the UFC and fans wait for a year, reportedly demanded $30 million, a sum Helwani claims was accepted, but still pulled out, ruining what White once called “the biggest heavyweight bout in UFC history.”
Now, the focus has shifted. The world seems ready to move on, with Tom Aspinall set to make his first defense of the undisputed heavyweight crown at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane in October, finally bringing stability and momentum back to the division.
