Jon Jones on UFC White House: 'Makes me feel a lot more important'

Jon Jones holds no grudge against Dana White for keeping him off the UFC White House fight card, and he believes the June 14 event proved MMA has reached its most prestigious era.

The heavyweight champion had pushed for a spot on the historic show after reversing his June 2025 retirement when President Donald Trump announced the White House card. White shut down the idea publicly, saying Jones was never under consideration. But Jones told Red Corner MMA he came away from the event impressed with what it means for the sport.

Jones reflects on MMA's evolution since early career

"I absolutely loved it," Jones said. "It really showed me—it humbled me and it just showed me that our sport is at a prestigious level right now. When I first started MMA, we weren't allowed to compete in New York State. People looked at it as being taboo, a very weird thing to do. Now, it's a very honorable sport to be a part of. Probably one of the most honorable sports to be a part of right now in history. I'm grateful to be considered one of the best in the sports history. It makes me feel a lot more important since the White House card."

The card was topped by Justin Gaethje knocking out Ilia Topuria to unify the lightweight titles. Topuria suffered his first career defeat and double orbital fractures. Jones, who has only one loss himself—a disqualification against Matt Hamill in a fight he was dominating—said he understands the pressure of an unbeaten record and the distractions that follow a championship win.

Jones pointed to his own arrests for hit-and-run, DWI, and domestic violence as proof that fame can derail young fighters without the right support system. He expects Topuria to recover from the setback, praising the Georgian's response to the loss. Topuria posted that he had no excuses and gave full credit to Gaethje.

Jones turns 39 later this month. He told Red Corner MMA that reaching the UFC is fairly easy compared to staying at the top, calling championship longevity almost impossible.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Jon Jones celebrates impact of UFC White House: ‘It makes me feel a lot more important’ | MMA Fighting