Jon Jones says a planned super-fight with Alex Pereira for the upcoming White House event in June did not happen because of a pay disagreement. The former two-division UFC champion also says he is not sure if he is retired yet.
How the Pereira fight fell through
Jones told UFCcoverage that talks over money ended the plans for a match with Pereira at the June White House show. He said, ‘I feel like I wanted to be compensated in a way that I wasn’t, and we just had a disagreement and that happens in life.’
Jones added he has respect for Pereira. He said he is ‘a big fan of Alex Pereira’ and called him a ‘classy fighter’ and a ‘potential opponent.’
Promoter Dana White, however, has said he never planned to book Jones for the White House show. Still, many fans had hoped to see Jones vs. Pereira. Instead, Pereira will now face Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of that card.
Jones on retirement and his current feelings
The 38-year-old Jones has spoken about retirement before. He told reporters he is not sure if he is retired or not and that he is taking things day by day. ‘I’m just taking it day by day just trying to kind of figure out my body and how I feel, things like that,’ he said.
Jones also said being at UFC 327 in Miami has given him fresh motivation. He said the event ‘definitely has given me this fire that I haven’t felt in a little bit, so it feels very good to be here.’ That suggests he is still thinking about fighting again, even if he has not made a final decision.
Dana White’s reaction and the bigger picture
After Jones spoke at the Miami event, Dana White did not seem surprised that Jones remains undecided. White said, ‘How is that any different than Jon’s been in the last 10 years?’ He added that while Jones can be hard to plan around, when Jones does show up ‘it’s fun.’
The back-and-forth highlights how difficult it can be to pin down a return for a star fighter who has had a long and complicated career. Jones remains one of the biggest names in the sport as a former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, and his decisions still draw major attention.
What to expect at the June White House event
The White House show in June will feature Alex Pereira against Ciryl Gane as the co-main event. That fight is now one of the biggest draws on the card after Jones and Pereira talks ended. Fans will watch to see if Jones changes his mind or if any new big fights are booked in the coming months.
Jones’ future is unclear. He may retire, he may return, and he may try to make a big fight happen down the road. For now, he is listening to his body and taking time to decide.
