UFC legend Jon Jones has unleashed a now-deleted late-night social media tirade after being left off the White House card.
After months of speculation, UFC boss Dana White announced the entire card on Sunday afternoon during the coverage of UFC 326 – and Jones wasn’t included.
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Ilia Topuria will return to action in the main event against Justin Gaethje in a lightweight unification bout.
The co-main will see Alex Pereira square off with Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title fight.
“Bones” was tipped to fight on the historic card and even said he had been in negotiations with the UFC, but White says otherwise.
White told reporters on Sunday that Jones probably needs a hip replacement and is unlikely to fight for the promotion again.
“Never, ever, ever – which I told you guys 100,000 times – was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House [event],” White said.
“… Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have hip replacements.”
White claimed that he told Jones’ lawyer that a spot on the White House card just wasn’t an option.
“The Jon Jones thing is bulls**t,” White said.
“I’m not saying they weren’t talking to Jon Jones and that Jon Jones wasn’t interested in the fight.
“What was even crazier was Jon Jones came out and was like ‘I’m in negotiations right now for the White House card,’ after I had already sent a text to his lawyer saying, ‘Never going to happen ever.’”
Taking to X, Jones hit back at the comments from White.
“I’m released from the UFC?!!” one of now deleted posts read.
Another stated: “Make this make sense.”
Jones also posted: “So all of this negotiating was complete bull***t, is that what you want me to agree to publicly?”
“Man, how f*****g painful,” he added later. “Laying in my bed, wrapping my head around this perception. All I can think is how f*****g painful.”
MMA reporter Ariel Helwani claimed the UFC did in fact speak with Jones about the White House card,=.
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“In since deleted tweets, Jon Jones responds to the narrative that he was never in the running to fight on the White House card,” Helwani posted on X.
“FWIW, Jones is 100% right.
“They did talk. They did negotiate. They just didn’t close the deal.
“Not sure why Dana said otherwise yesterday. (Well, I guess I do know. Why would you wanna admit – when everyone is poopooing a card – that you couldn’t agree to terms with a massive name like Jones.)”
White admitted to Joe Rogan on Sunday that the card was harder to put together than expected.
“Listen, I’ll say this, this card was a lot more difficult than we anticipated, but we got it done,” he said.
“You know, a fight fell out last night, the matchmaking team was literally in the office all night, last night working on this thing. It’s done, we’re ready to roll.
“Here we come, Washington, D.C.”
White’s remarks came after he revealed to UFC backstage reporter Nina-Marie Daniele that one of the fights had fallen through at the last minute.
Malki Kawa, who manages both Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria, also dropped a bombshell last week on social media, posting that he didn’t sleep due to negotiations.
“An all-night negotiation where I didn’t sleep hasn’t happened in a long time. When I tell you this story, you won’t believe it,” Kawa wrote on X.
Elsewhere on the card, which has been branded ‘Freedom Fights 250’, Sean O’Malley will take on Aiemann Zahabi, with Mauricio Ruffy facing Michael Chandler and Bo Nickal squaring off with Kyle Daukaus.
The event will kick off with a blockbuster clash between Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia.
The entire show will feature just six bouts, less than half of a usual amount on a numbered event.
However, there is a chance that White might add another fight in the coming weeks after admitting to Piers Morgan that it’s something he’s been pondering.
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“I’m looking at (the card) right now. I’m staring at all six fights,” he told Morgan.
“We’re scheduled to do six fights. We were going to do six fights, we might actually do seven, I might add one more, but yeah, I’m excited.”