Apr 12, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White during ceremonial weigh ins for UFC 300 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Dana White Shares Massive News On The Future Of The UFC Heavyweight Division!

Dana White shares major news about the UFC heavyweight division and a massive potential fight down the road!

Apr 12, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White during ceremonial weigh ins for UFC 300 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC heavyweight division has always held a special place in fans’ hearts. Big men with bigger power captivate fans like nothing else. From the days of Mark Coleman smashing opponents to Brock Lesnar’s meteoric rise, heavyweights sell tickets. The division has seen legendary champions come and go over the years. Names like Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic have all left their mark on UFC history.

However, recently the division has seen a bit of inactivity and become stale. Jon Jones, who became champion after beating Ciryl Gane was out of competition for over a year. In the meantime, Tom Aspinall became the Interim Heavyweight champion. Now, these two are headed for a collision and fans are amped for it!

Also Read: Magomed Ankalaev Responds to Alex Pereira’s Challenge To Bet $200K

Dana White’s Announcement

UFC CEO Dana White dropped some major news that has fight fans buzzing with excitement. During his appearance on The Jim Rome Show, White confirmed his intentions to book the long-awaited heavyweight title showdown between champion Jon Jones and interim champ Tom Aspinall this summer.

“The plan is to fight Jon this summer. Obviously, when, where, and all that stuff is being determined. My goal this year is to make that fight [with] Aspinall.”

🚨 Dana White says the UFC’s plan is for Jon Jones to fight Tom Aspinall this summer, with the date and location still “being determined”

He also says that Alex Pereira could fight the winner of Jones vs Aspinall with a win this weekend 👀

🎥 @jimrome pic.twitter.com/eNqPdMVQdV
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 6, 2025

This announcement comes as a relief to many who feared Jones might never defend his belt against the surging British fighter. Jones, widely considered the greatest fighter of all time, has only defended his heavyweight title once since claiming it two years ago. That defense came last November at UFC 309 when he finished former champion Stipe Miocic with a fourth-round TKO, sending Miocic into retirement.

Alex Pereira In The Mix?

White’s revelation about the Jones-Aspinall fight wasn’t the only bombshell he dropped during his media tour. He also discussed light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira’s potential move to heavyweight.

“The other thing about Pereira that everybody loves, is this guy wants to go up to heavyweight and fight at heavyweight, too. I’m the one that’s actually holding him back on that.”

‘Poatan’ has quickly become one of the UFC’s biggest stars. The former kickboxer has already captured titles in two weight classes. His devastating knockout power makes fans hold their breath every time he steps into the octagon.

The timing of these announcements is particularly interesting with UFC 313 just around the corner. Pereira defends his light heavyweight strap against dangerous Dagestani challenger Magomed Ankalaev this Saturday in Las Vegas. If Pereira gets past Ankalaev, his future could get very interesting. White hinted that a Pereira-Jones matchup isn’t out of the question down the line.

Between Jones’ technical brilliance, Aspinall’s explosive potential, and Pereira’s highlight-reel power, the future of the UFC heavyweight division looks brighter than ever. Dana White’s summer timeline gives fans something to look forward to. Just don’t be surprised if a few more twists and turns pop up along the way. After all, this is the fight game, where the only predictable thing is unpredictability!

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

Alex Pereira

Dana White

Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall

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!