Jon Jones shares UFC White House main event | Sports News

Jon Jones is considered one of the best fighters in UFC historical past and has spent the higher half of the final yr insisting his story is about titles and legacy. But the previous champion of two weight courses is prepared to put all satisfaction to the facet for a likelihood to struggle at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The UFC’s deliberate White House card was an concept so surreal to Jones that it prompted the embellished champion to rethink retirement. He additionally stated that he would settle for any matchup to secure a spot on probably the most vital political stage the game has ever seen, and it does not even must be a main event.

Jones is at present in Chechnya with Khamzat Chimaev after receiving a personal invite from President Ramzan Kadyrov, a conflict prison who runs the area. The former UFC heavyweight champion final roasted present champ Tom Aspinall’s first heavyweight title protection, which led to a no-contest because of an eye poke from Ciryl Gane.

When a fan requested whether or not he would struggle Alex Pereira beneath non-title circumstances or settle for a non-headlining place on the White House card, Jones answered with out hesitation. “Absolutely,” he replied.

When explicitly requested about Pereira, he added, “It’s a little bit out of my hands. I’m getting in shape, I’m lean and completely capable of hopping into a training camp. I guess time will tell. Either way, life is good.”

The willingness to just accept a non-main-event slot is a shocking shift from what Jones has represented for over a decade. He has not participated in a UFC event with out a championship or main-event designation since UFC 126 in 2011, when he submitted Ryan Bader on a evening headlined by Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort, with Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin within the co-main.

Seventeen fights later, Jones turned the youngest champion in UFC historical past, defending his gentle heavyweight title eight consecutive occasions, and constructed a resume with no historic equal earlier than optimistic checks, legal points, and intervals of inactivity derailed his profession. Jones retired after defending the UFC heavyweight championship with a knockout win over Stipe Miocic in New York, punctuated by a spinning back kick and punches.

He collected Performance of the Night and walked away after breaking the UFC document for complete title defenses. Fourteen days after the announcement of the UFC’s White House plans, Jones un-retired and shifted all of his vitality towards getting a spot on the cardboard.

During his time away from the Octagon, Jones has educated heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson and predicted that the Olympic gold medalist would be the high heavyweight on this planet “within the next 14 months.”

UFC President Dana White stated that Jones’ previous will stop him from being on the cardboard. “I haven’t said yes or no to anybody yet, but I can’t put Jon Jones in a position where he can [effect this],” stated White.

“I had a deal with him. We had a deal to fight Tom Aspinall. We had a deal, and he said, ‘You know what? I’m not going to do it.’ I can’t be in that position. I’ve got to have someone [reliable].”