The sands may finally be slipping through the hourglass for Jon Jones — at least as far as Dana White is concerned.
For over a decade, Jon “Bones” Jones has commanded attention inside the Octagon as the consensus greatest of all time. But outside it, he’s been just as well-known for the chaos—contract standoffs, suspensions, and long absences that test the UFC’s patience and force the promotion to juggle timelines and contenders. Now, UFC CEO Dana White seems to have reached his breaking point.
Appearing on The Jim Rome Show, White didn’t sugarcoat it. “Jon Jones has been an interesting human being to deal with since the day he got here,” he said — a statement that might sound diplomatic, but reads more like frustration barely disguised. White acknowledged Jones’s past willingness to fight anyone, anytime, but made it crystal clear: time is almost up. “If we can’t get this fight done, we’ll move on quickly.”
The fight in question? A title unification bout between Jones and surging interim champion Tom Aspinall — the kind of fight that would electrify fans and give Jones a proper legacy test at heavyweight. But it’s been silence from Jones’s side since UFC 309 last November, where he dismantled Stipe Miocic in his long-awaited heavyweight debut. The victory was vintage Jones — dominant and cerebral — but it may now be his last unless something changes fast.
And it’s not just fans sounding the alarm.
UFC Stars Call Out Jon Jones
Former bantamweight champ Miesha Tate has outright accused Jones of ducking Aspinall, stating plainly, “I don’t think he’s confident that he has the pieces it takes to put Tom Aspinall on the mat.” That’s a heavy charge, especially coming from a veteran fighter who understands both the business and competitive side of the sport. For Tate, greatness comes with responsibility — and that means taking on the next man in line, not vanishing into radio silence.
But what really turned heads was hearing Alexander Volkanovski chime in. The featherweight king is known for letting his fists do the talking, but even he felt compelled to speak out. “If you’re the champ, you defend your belt — it’s a responsibility,” he said. “If you don’t want to fight, just retire.”
That comment hit like a body shot. Volkanovski isn’t just any fighter — he’s respected, measured, and rarely critical. For him to break character and call Jones out speaks volumes about the growing tension in the UFC ranks.
With the heavyweight division essentially on pause, all eyes are now on Jones. Will he come to terms and step into the cage with Aspinall? Or will the UFC finally move on, potentially crowning Aspinall as the undisputed champion — with or without the GOAT?
White doesn’t Think Jones Is Afraid of Aspinall
White added that he doesn’t think Jones is afraid of fighting Aspinall, stating he has “never turned down an opponent here or been afraid to fight anybody.”
That may be the case but it sure seems like Dana White’s patience — along with the roster’s respect — is nearly gone.
