Jones Posts Selfie With White After UFC 329

Jon Jones and Dana White crossed paths for the first time since their public feud escalated earlier this year.

Jones posted the photo on social media along with a message that suggested the issues between them have dropped considerably.

"Changed my life, always a homie no matter what," Jones

The context matters. Jones had publicly requested his UFC release earlier this year after being excluded from the Freedom 250 card at the White House — an omission he and his management took personally and addressed loudly through the media. White responded, the back-and-forth escalated, and Jones retired while the contract dispute remained technically unresolved. He is still under contract as of this writing, but has been clear that his competitive career is finished.

White has never wavered in his assessment of Jones as the greatest UFC fighter of all time, a designation he has repeated consistently even during the periods of friction. That underlying respect — whatever complications surrounded the White House dispute — apparently survived the falling-out.

Whether the cordial selfie translates into anything more concrete is unclear. Jones's retirement appears genuine, and the contract situation he was fighting over has become less relevant now that he is not pursuing active competition. The relationship between them has always been complicated by Jones' ability to generate problems as readily as he generates greatness.

White's view of where Jones fits in the sport's history has not changed. The selfie suggests Jones's view of White has at least partially returned to what it was before this year's dispute.