Jon Jones is still claiming he’s working towards a UFC comeback in 2026, aiming to compete at the event planned for the White House.
His retirement announcement came after a long saga at heavyweight, with Dana White making it official following the UFC’s debut event in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Soon after, Donald Trump announced that the UFC would be hosting an event at the White House on July 4, 2026 – a move that quickly caught Jones’ interest.
The former UFC heavyweight champion then claimed to have re-entered the anti-doping testing pool, suggesting his retirement was already over, and he was targeting a return for that White House card.
Jon Jones rejects Red Square fight offer against Fedor Emelianenko
Even though Jones expressed interest in joining the event, Dana White wasn’t on board with his return, suggesting he couldn’t trust Jones to deliver on such a big stage.
‘Bones’ found himself in Russia over the weekend, attending an IBA Bare Knuckle boxing event where he appeared as a special guest.
While there, Al Siesta, head of IBO boxing, floated an alternative fight opportunity at Red Square, as the White House card no longer appears to be an option.
“Jon, you know that card at the White House, are you participating in it?” Siesta asked.
Jones replied: “I’d like to be. I’m working towards it.”
Siesta then suggested: “Listen to this: if that’s not happening, I’ve got an alternative for you. Red Square, would you like it to happen on the Red Square?”
Jones responded: “I’m contractually obligated to the UFC for a very long time.”
The conversation continued with Siesta saying: “No, listen if we agree with Dana White we bring you to the Red Square as an alternative to the White House card, Dana, I’ll speak to you about it… I’m gonna get someone like Fedor (Emelianenko), two boxers.”
“No. No one wants to see Fedor and I fight, I don’t want to fight Fedor, I absolutely love Fedor, he’s been one of my big idols for a long time. It’s the same with Anderson Silva, these guys inspired me in my youth and that will never change,” Jones concluded.
Joe Rogan named Fedor Emelianenko the greatest heavyweight ever
At 48, Fedor Emelianenko hasn’t competed in MMA since his knockout loss to Ryan Bader in 2023.
Even though the Russian legend never fought in the UFC, Joe Rogan – one of the promotion’s biggest names outside the cage – has often called Fedor the greatest heavyweight ever, pointing to his early dominance as the main reason.
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