Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has spoken up for Jon Jones in Jones’s bid to take part in a UFC event at the White House, despite UFC president Dana White’s firm stance that he cannot rely on Jones.
“If I'm being completely honest, I don't know that I agree (with White). I think I'd let him fight. I think if he wants to fight, I'd let him fight because, for as much as mixed martial arts is a global sport and it's a sport that everybody loves and we support people from all around the world, at the end of the day, when you're fighting at the White House, you want American people that can win," Cormier said on his YouTube channel.
White previously cited Jones’s unreliability as the main reason for refusal. Cormier suggested a solution: include contractual penalties to guarantee Jones will appear in the octagon.
I think you put some things in his contract that makes it very costly to not follow through. If you put Jon Jones on the White House card, say something that happens in the law, and he has to be pulled from the card, $1 million. Say he just says he doesn't want to fight, $1 million. Say he gets injured, then it should be less, as long as the injury can be proven. We have no American guys in the top 10 of the pound-for-pound since Jon Jones retired. That's crazy. Come on, boss. It's me asking you to give Jon Jones a chance.
Jones’s last fight was against Stipe Miocic in November 2024 at UFC 309. He won by technical knockout in the third round, defending the UFC heavyweight title. His record is 28 wins, one loss, and one no-contest.
