UFC CEO Dana White claims Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic ‘should happen’ this summer

Dana White expects Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic to go down this summer.

The two Octagon icons were originally scheduled to headline UFC 296 in December, but ‘Bones’ was forced out of the bout after tearing his pectoral muscle in the weeks leading up to their heavyweight title tilt. The promotion quickly booked an interim fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, with the Brit capturing gold via a stunning 69-second knockout.

Instead of moving on to fight Jones — who reigns as the undisputed heavyweight champion — Aspinall will sit on the sidelines waiting for ‘Bones’ and Miocic to settle their business first. Even then, there’s no guarantee that Aspinall will have the chance to fight Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic with both fighters suggesting that their heavyweight superfight could be the last of their respective careers.

“Yes, this summer it should happen,” White told Maxx Crosby while discussing Jones vs. Miocic. “It’s interesting [on the retirement aspect]. I think it depends on who wins. I mean, either guy that wins, how do you not fight Aspinall?

“I think there’s a — it’s almost like a courtesy, if you will,” he continued. “If you’re looked at as one of the GOATs, whoever wins this fight, it’s almost like a courtesy thing to give that guy the shot. Give him an opportunity to win or you win and it just absolutely cements nobody can poke holes in [the legacy] that nobody can say anything about it” (h/t MMA Mania).

is Dana White being more optimistic than realistic?

Jon Jones revealed that he was being courted for the UFC 300 headliner on April 13, but quickly shut down talks as he had recently undergone elbow surgery while his pectoral muscle continued to heal — essentially eliminating two birds with one stone.

“I was actually called and offered to fight on the event,” Jones wrote on X. “The guys said they just wanted to give me the option. We both knew I wouldn’t be ready.”

Given the nature of his injuries, even summer 2024 seems a bit early for Jones’ return, suggesting that White could be speaking more optimistically than realistically with his proposed timeline.