Dana White is insisting fight fans will get Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic later this year — and the UFC president defended the organization’s decision to book that heavyweight championship matchup instead of having Jones defend his title in a unification match against reigning interim titleholder Tom Aspinall.
White got into a lengthy discussion with media at the UFC Apex following Tuesday’s Contender Series card as he doubled down on UFC booking a legacy matchup between two future Hall of Famers.
“I have two legends of the sport that wanted to fight each other. These guys are lined up, one guy gets hurt, and this is the fight that they both want,” White explained. “What do you do? You don’t show the guys the respect?
“And I guarantee you this, if Stipe wins, Stipe is going to retire. This will be Stipe’s last fight, so are you, the media, telling me I should just tell Stipe to (expletive) off? ‘Good luck to you, Stipe, ride off into the sunset, go fight some fires and that’s a wrap for you, buddy.’ Because Jon got hurt? Or do I show this guy the respect that I should show him and give them both the fight that they want? That’s the position I’m in. We had this thing lined up.”
Jones won the UFC’s vacant heavyweight title in March 2023 — a belt Francis Ngannou was previously stripped of during a contract dispute before the former champ signing with PFL — but has not fought since then.
Miocic is a former two-time heavyweight champ who last competed when he was viciously knocked out by Ngannou at UFC 280 in March 2021.
Jones, a former light heavyweight champion and the consensus greatest talent in mixed martial arts history, was scheduled to defend his title against Miocic at UFC 295 in New York last November but a pectoral injury resulted in his withdrawal. The UFC pivoted and booked Aspinall against Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title at the event instead, and Aspinall won it thanks to a first-round knockout.
Aspinall recently defended his interim title at UFC 304 with a one-minute knockout of Curtis Blaydes one month ago. Afterward, he gave a respectful call-out: “Hello, Jon. I have nothing against you personally, but I just think I’m better than you. I just know I can beat you in a fight, so I’m coming for it.”
An x-factor is the age of the competitors, with Jones 37 and Miocic turning 42 earlier this month.
“If Stipe was 32 years old, then, yeah, (an interim title fight) is probably what we do,” White added. “But this is probably Stipe’s last fight, win or lose, and I’m not going to disrespect the guy. He accepted the fight, he was ready for the fight, and Jon got injured.”
UFC 309 is scheduled to take place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden when the UFC returns to the venue for the eighth time since 2016. Jones has never competed in his home state of New York during his pro career. The organization has not yet officially announced any bouts for that card, however, Jones vs. Miocic is the projected main event.
White also predicted that if Miocic were to win that he’d retire afterward but that if Jones won, then Jones would unify the titles in a fight with Aspinall.
