Jon "Bones" Jones has formally requested his release from the UFC following a fiery public dispute with UFC CEO Dana White over his exclusion from the promotion's highly anticipated White House event, scheduled for June 14, 2026.
The fallout began Saturday night when, following UFC 326, White told reporters that Jones was "never, ever, ever" considered for the White House card, citing Jones' hip arthritis, a prior retirement announcement, failed drug tests, and a general lack of trust. White claimed he had already sent a message to Jones' legal team dismissing any possibility of him appearing on the card.
Jones, 38, quickly fired back on X (formerly Twitter) with an initial wave of emotional, now-deleted posts that revealed the extent of his frustration. In those since-removed tweets, Jones appeared blindsided by White's statements, writing "I'm released from the UFC?!!" and lamenting repeatedly that the situation was "how f***ing painful." He also hinted that the UFC had privately pressured him to publicly accept White's narrative — essentially asking Jones to be "the fall guy" by agreeing that no negotiations had ever taken place.
After deleting that raw outburst, Jones composed himself and posted a lengthier formal statement on Monday. In it, Jones stated that his team had engaged in genuine contract negotiations with the UFC for the White House fight, that he had reduced his asking price, and that the offer he received in return was a lowball. He also pushed back on White's hip arthritis claims, noting that arthritis being "painful" does not mean he cannot compete, and pointed out the logical inconsistency in White's position: "If I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I'd be on the White House card? That doesn't make sense."
Jones revealed he had received stem cell treatment just last week to prepare for the fight and had training camp scheduled to begin Monday — the same day he posted his statement. He also disclosed that as recently as last Friday, the UFC had reached out to him about the White House card, but with an even lower financial offer than previously discussed.
Closing his statement with an ultimatum, Jones wrote: "If the UFC truly feels like I'm done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today. No more spins, no more games. Bones out."
Jones last competed in November 2024, when he successfully defended the UFC Heavyweight Championship against Stipe Miocic. He briefly announced his retirement in 2025 before reversing course upon the announcement of the White House event. As of Monday evening, the UFC has not made any formal statement on Jones' contract status, and industry insiders consider an outright release to be unlikely. UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall has since publicly voiced his support for Jones amid the fallout.
The UFC Freedom 250 White House card, headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, is set for June 14, 2026, on Paramount.