Dana White has stated that only Jon Jones will determine his future from this point onwards.
The UFC president admitted that Jones is welcome to fight in the UFC if he wants to, but he would not put pressure on the former UFC light heavyweight champion to do so.
White also thanked Jones for leaving such an incredible legacy at the UFC 262 post-fight press conference. Jones is the “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time), according to White, and he praised the former 205-pound champion for his time with the organisation.
“Listen, that’s up to Jon Jones. Whether he wants to fight or not. You know, there’s fights available, they’re here. I’m gonna keep making fights every weekend, doing fights. You know, if Jon Jones has to fight he can, if he doesn’t, he doesn’t have to.
“Nobody is gonna force Jon Jones to fight. He’s got a great run, he’s got an incredible legacy. I personally see him as the GOAT,” White said.
White went on to say that if Jones wins the heavyweight championship, it would be difficult to refute Jones’ claim to be the GOAT of the sport.
“Obviously, going up to heavyweight it would be tough to argue, you know, if he wins the title, that he’s not the GOAT. But, right here, right now, he could retire and I still consider him the GOAT right now, until somebody else accomplishes what he has,” White said.
Future in UFC for Jones?
After moving up from the light heavyweight to heavyweight division, Jones was the first boxer in line for a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. However, ‘Bones’ and the UFC were engaged in a feud over Jones’ pay, following Francis Ngannou’s historic win of the UFC 260.
Since they were unable to reach an agreement, it appears that Derrick Lewis would be given a shot at Ngannou’s belt.
It’ll be interesting to see how things go between the UFC and Jones from here. The winner of Ngannou vs. Lewis 2 could face the former light heavyweight champion, but nothing is certain at this time.
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