Mar 4, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC president Dana White (left) greets fighter Jon Jones during a press conference prior to weigh-ins for UFC 196 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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A Visibly Frustrated Dana White Announces Jon Jones Retirement, Goes Off On Francis Nganou Amid UFC Return Talks

UFC CEO Dana White announces Jon Jones retirement after many months of back and forth, disses Francis Ngannou!

The MMA world has been a circus lately, and Dana White just stepped into the ring swinging. Saturday night’s UFC Baku event delivered more drama after the fights ended than during them. The UFC CEO found himself dealing with two major heavyweight headaches that have been brewing for months. One involves a champion who refused to fight, and other concerns a former champion who left on bad terms.

The heavyweight division has been stuck in neutral for way too long. Jon Jones had been at the center of controversy regarding his long-overdue potential title unification bout against Tom Aspinall. Meanwhile Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC continues to cast a shadow over the promotion. White’s patience finally ran out, and his responses showed just how fed up he’s become with both situations.

Dana White Announces Jon Jones Calling It Quits

Dana White recently revealed that Jon Jones called the UFC the night before to inform them of his decision to retire from the sport. This brought an end to one of MMA’s most decorated careers. The timing shocked everyone, but it shouldn’t have. Jones had been playing this retirement game for months, teasing fans and frustrating White with his constant flip-flopping about fighting Tom Aspinall.

“Jon Jones called us last night and retired. Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the Heavyweight champion of UFC.”

🚨 BREAKING!

DANA WHITE SAYS JON JONES IS RETIRED AND TOM ASPINALL IS THE NEW UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP! pic.twitter.com/Or8SUCmVHS
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 21, 2025

When asked whether he regretted the decision to give Jones such a long time to decide whether he was going to fight Tom Aspinall, this is what he said:

“Listen if you look at what he [Jones] has accomplished in this sport, No. not at all. I do feel bad for Tom that he lost all that time and obviously money, but we will make it upto him.”

⚡️Dana White on whether he regrets giving Jon Jones so much time:

If you look at all things he accomplished in this sport — no… I obviously feel bad for Tom… but we will make it up to him."

🎥 @ufc ▫️ pic.twitter.com/fU4yh2krbH
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 21, 2025

‘Bones’ captured the heavyweight title in 2023 and successfully defended it against Stipe Miocic, but that’s where his heavyweight story ends. The 37-year-old simply didn’t want the Aspinall fight, despite the Englishman holding the interim belt and proving himself worthy of a unification bout. Jones leaves behind a professional record of 28-1 with one no contest, but more importantly, he exits as arguably the greatest light heavyweight champion in UFC history with 11 title defenses.

What makes this retirement particularly satisfying for Aspinall is that he had famously predicted in the past that he would retire Jones, without ever having to face him inside the octagon. The British fighter gets the last laugh and the undisputed heavyweight championship without throwing a single punch at Jones. Sometimes the best victories come without fighting at all.

Dana White Shuts Down Francis Ngannou Return Talk

While Jones’s retirement solved one problem, White made sure everyone knew Francis Ngannou wouldn’t be the solution to filling the heavyweight void. The UFC CEO didn’t hold back when discussing the former heavyweight champion’s potential return to the octagon. His comments were brutally honest and left no room for interpretation.

“One thing I’ve learned over the years about Francis (Ngannou), Francis doesn’t always mean what he says publicly. What he says behind the scenes are different than what he says publicly I’m not a big fan. I would be shocked if Francis ever came back here on lots of different levels. I’m not a fan. And he doesn’t always mean what he says publicly.”

Dana White on Francis Ngannou: I'm not a fan.#UFC pic.twitter.com/eb13k0LClX
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) June 21, 2025

UFC CEO Dana White has definitively ruled out a return for ex-heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The bad blood between these two runs deep, stemming from contract negotiations that went south and Ngannou’s eventual departure from the UFC in early 2023. Since leaving the UFC in early 2023, Ngannou has pursued boxing, facing notable opponents Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but his MMA future remains uncertain.

The heavyweight division finally has clarity with Aspinall as the undisputed champion, but White’s harsh words about Ngannou show some wounds in the UFC never heal. Whether this is just typical Dana White bluster or a permanent stance remains to be seen, but for now, ‘The Predator’ won’t be prowling around the octagon anytime soon.

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Dana White

Francis Ngannou

Jon Jones

Jon Jones Retired

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!