Dana White has revealed that he and Jon Jones recently spoke for the first time in months, addressing growing speculation among fans.
Jones, a former UFC heavyweight and light-heavyweight champion, retired earlier this year instead of taking a unification fight with Tom Aspinall.
Although he had a verbal agreement with White and plans were in place, ‘Bones’ ultimately stepped away from the sport.
Since then, it has been announced that the UFC will host a major event on the White House lawn next summer.
The news seems to have reignited Jones’ interest in fighting again – even though the UFC boss has publicly said there is no chance of him being added to the card.
Dana White has spoken to Jon Jones in recent weeks
In recent weeks, Jones has expressed regret for the way he handled the situation with Dana White and the UFC regarding the verbal agreement to fight Aspinall. During a podcast appearance, he publicly apologized to both the promotion and his former boss.
Despite this, White responded by saying there was no need for an apology but reiterated that the White House card was reserved for fighters who have shown more reliability.
Still, after UFC 322, the businessman confirmed that he had spoken with Jones again after a period without communication.
During a recent conversation with journalists, one reporter jokingly asked if this meant Jones was also forgiven for refusing to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice in 2012 – a decision that led to the cancellation of UFC 151.
“I don’t know if he did,” White replied when asked if Jones had apologized for that episode.
“I don’t think so. I think that he was in a position where he had coaches and a team, and they all wanted to have input into what he did, and he listened to them.
“It was f—ing crazy, yeah. I talked to Jon Jones last night actually. I got nothing bad to say about it. It’s just something that happened.”
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