Chael Sonnen explains why he agrees with Dana White in refusing Jon Jones a fight at The White House

One of Jon Jones’s biggest rivals, Chael Sonnen, agrees with the UFC’s hesitance to have him headline the White House card.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones remains adamant in a 2026 return to the Octagon to fight on the lawn of The White House. Despite UFC CEO Dana White defending Jones numerous times during his polarizing career, White is non-committal in rewarding the retired Jones with a spot on the unprecedented card.

Jones retired from MMA in June after seven months of negotiations between the UFC, Tom Aspinall, and his team for a fight. Aspinall was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champ following Jones’s retirement and returns next month at UFC 321.

After Jones received a surprising defense from Daniel Cormier against White’s White House stance, another one of his longtime rivals took the opposite approach.

Chael Sonnen rips apart Jon Jones’s case for White House showcase

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sonnen explained his stance on Jones potentially fighting at The White House.

“I haven’t thought a lot about [the card] because it is a year away, but I’m telling you, that time is going to be used as a reward,” Sonnen said. “Everyone on the roster wants on that card. But it’s not a matter of ‘I’ve done this, I’ve won that’. Jon Jones, for example, ‘I’m the greatest fighter of all-time’. Yeah it’s true, but you didn’t travel the roads. You didn’t set up the ring, take your turn driving the semi-truck. You don’t deserve a reward.

“But there are some other guys that I think carry some pretty heavy water. Alex Pereira comes to mind. Colby Covington I believe is a lock for that card,” Sonnen continued. “I’ll remind you. It’s not going to be anyone that’s been retired. No one is going to take those glorious spots, except for the people who earned them. By showing their loyalty back to the industry, to the company…

“Jon does not deserve to have a main event spot on the White House card.”

Jones defeated Sonnen earlier in their fighting careers at UFC 159 by first-round TKO. Since their fight and The Ultimate Fighter coaching stints, Jones and Sonnen have remained at odds.