For any UFC fight to happen, it takes three to tango—Dana White and his team, plus the two fighters ready to throw down. Seems simple enough, right? Well, nothing is, if one of those parties happens to be heavyweight champion Jon Jones? And since that is the case here, White has the sympathies of a journalist he’s been feuding with for years.
Jones is supposed to fight interim champion Tom Aspinall to unify the UFC heavyweight title, but a fight with simple enough motivations such as this has now taken months to even get a nod from the promotion.
At times, it has been rumored that the UFC is reluctant to pay the alleged $30 million sum Jones had asked for, while certain reports have stated Jones wants a 6-month camp once he signs the paper, neither of which aligns with the promotion or Aspinall’s motivations.
However, unlike the many issues with the promotion that can be blamed on its brass, MMA scribe Ariel Helwani has refused to point fingers at the boss, Dana White. In fact, Helwani has praised the world leader in MMA for going out of their way to make the mega fight a reality.
“If Jon Jones x Tom Aspinall doesn’t come to fruition, if for whatever reason it falls apart, the UFC is not to blame”, he tweeted.
“The UFC has, based on the conversations that I’ve had, made every effort, in very good faith, to make this fight happen. We know Tom wants this fight. We know the UFC wants this fight”, he added, placing the blame squarely on the heavyweight champion.
“We’re going to find out how much Jon wants this fight”, noted Helwani.
If Jon Jones x Tom Aspinall doesn’t come to fruition, if for whatever reason it falls apart, the UFC is not to blame.
The UFC has, based on the conversations that I’ve had, made every effort, in very good faith, to make this fight happen.
We know Tom wants this fight. We know… pic.twitter.com/S1ClgL3z8j
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 22, 2025
Interestingly, earlier today, UFC veteran and co-host of the Good Guy/Bad Guy show on ESPN, Chael Sonnen, appeared to argue in Jones’ favor.
Declining the thousand and one accusations about Jones ducking Aspinall in favor of a record-breaking stay as the heavyweight champion (784 days by Stipe Miocic), Sonnen asked fans to trust the one real source of UFC news.
Put your faith in Mr. White, asks Sonnen
“I am confident enough to tell you that fight is done… That fight is agreed, all the way down to the date”, he said. Claiming to have inside knowledge of the deal, Sonnen pointed to the International Fight Week as a viable option to host the biggest heavyweight battle in UFC history.
He then shifted his focus to the multitude of allegations leveled against the Rochester native and said that he wishes Jones had done so.
“I’d love to bury him. He didn’t. He did not duck Tom Aspinall”, the UFC analysts insisted.
According to Chael, Jones loves to stir the pot in the media, but when the UFC calls, it’s simple.
“The litmus test is that when that phone rings and it’s Dana White, what is said in that moment—that’s the only thing that determines if someone is ducking or delaying”, asserted the former middleweight title contender.
While he didn’t reveal any details either, earlier last month, the UFC boss had made it a point to let the media know that the deal was close to being finalized.
