Jon Jones could be running out of time. The UFC heavyweight division finds itself at a crossroads, and the man holding the map is none other than Dana White. According to UFC insider and perennial provocateur Chael Sonnen, the clock is ticking for Jon Jones, the reigning but rarely seen heavyweight champion, to finally square off with interim champ Tom Aspinall.
Deadline Dana: Jon Jones Faces the Chop if Aspinall Fight Falls Flat
If that fight doesn’t materialize, Sonnen warns, Jones could find himself stripped of his title, something the UFC has never done while an undisputed champion is still technically in the picture.“Will the UFC put a deadline on the heavyweight division? Yes, privately, Dana White has a date and location,” Sonnen revealed, adding that, “If Dana doesn’t succeed at getting that fight closer, he’s going to start to get angry—and that’s not a guy you want to say no to. The UFC has never allowed an interim champion to exist in the presence of our undisputed champion. If Jon Jones doesn’t fight Aspinall, I do believe we would have to strip Jones.”
For months, the saga has played out like a heavyweight soap opera. Jon Jones, the former light heavyweight kingpin, made his long-awaited move to heavyweight. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall has bulldozed his way through the division, grabbing the interim belt, even defending this title, and calling for a shot at the top. Negotiations have been as slippery, with both fighters and the UFC brass keeping details close to the vest.
After Jon Jones captured the vacant heavyweight title in March 2023, a defense against Stipe Miocic was set but fell apart due to Jones’s injury. Enter Tom Aspinall, who seized the interim belt by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich and then defended it in July 2024, all while calling out Jones for a unification bout. But instead of the clash fans craved, negotiations devolved into a slow-motion standoff.
Aspinall has been ready and waiting, repeatedly stating he’d fight Jones “whenever and wherever.” But Jones, ever the master of mind games, has kept everyone guessing—publicly musing about retirement, focusing on “love and happiness,” and even shifting blame for delays onto the UFC itself. When asked about the holdup, Jones claimed, “Y’all barking up the wrong tree, I told the UFC my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven’t shared them with you guys yet”. Meanwhile, he’s been busy with seminars in Thailand and reality TV, while Aspinall sits idle and frustrated.
Public pressure has mounted. A fan petition to strip Jones of the title has soared past 150,000 signatures, with accusations that he’s “holding the title hostage”. Even Dana White, usually tight-lipped, has hinted at a deadline, with November at Madison Square Garden rumored as the final window for this fight to materialize. Chael Sonnen, never one to miss a headline, claims the fight is finally booked, but official confirmation remains elusive.
Sonnen, never shy with an analogy, painted a picture of Dana White’s shifting moods: “Whatever Tom and Dana said on a phone call stays right there, whatever Jon and Dana said stays right there. That’s called ‘nice Dana’—and nice Dana gets a lot of fights done. Mad Dana gets every fight done. You’ll know when mad Dana arrives—when you start getting revealed what was said on these calls, that’s the clue that the date is sneaking up on us. But right now, it’s optimistic Dana, calm Dana.”
The rumored deadline? Sonnen hints at November, with Madison Square Garden as the likely battleground. “I believe I even know when—November. I think I even know where—Madison Square Garden. That’s not inside scoop, I’m just sharing for you. As that date gets closer, if those bout agreements don’t start coming together, you’re going to see mean Dana. But either way, you’re going to see Jon and Tom fight.”
The message is clear: the UFC’s patience isn’t infinite, and neither is Jon Jones’ reign if he doesn’t defend his throne.
