Dana White Guarantees Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Fight Will Happen in 2025

Dana White isn’t mincing words—he’s 100% confident that Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is going down in 2025, and he believes it’s set to become the biggest fight in UFC heavyweight history. Speaking after the year’s final UFC event in Tampa, the UFC CEO doubled down on his assurance, hinting that the groundwork for the epic showdown is already in place.

“Yeah, I’ll say 100 percent [guaranteed],” White declared. “I think it’s probably the biggest fight in heavyweight history, and it’s a massive [fight] in the history of the company, too. It’s a big fight.”

This isn’t just bold talk from White—his confidence suggests that a deal is all but finalized. The fight, which would pit reigning heavyweight champ Jon Jones against interim champ Tom Aspinall, is already generating record-breaking expectations, both in terms of pay-per-view numbers and legacy implications.

The drama surrounding the fight started after Jones dominated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. While White has been adamant about the Jones-Aspinall showdown, Jones publicly downplayed the idea, suggesting a bout with UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira instead. But White shot that down immediately, insisting that the heavyweight unification fight is the only logical next step.

“Jon says that sh*t publicly but not behind the scenes,” White commented. “Jon is a very unique individual to deal with.”

Jones’ hesitations reportedly stem from Aspinall’s relative lack of marquee wins compared to his own résumé, which boasts 16 championship victories. Aspinall, though, has been a wrecking ball in the division, with a blistering 8-1 record in the UFC and almost all of his fights ending in the first round.

White remains unfazed by Jones’ public resistance. He’s confident that when push comes to shove, Jones won’t back down from the challenge.

“Jon Jones isn’t afraid to fight anybody and that’s a fact,” White said. “From day one, I’ve been confident that Jon Jones would do that fight. I mean even before [UFC 309], I said if he won, there’s no way Jon doesn’t do this fight.”

White did bring up one blemish on Jones’ otherwise fearless reputation—the infamous Chael Sonnen short-notice debacle. “That wasn’t him. That was his team,” White explained. “But other than that, Jon Jones behind the scenes is not a guy that turns down fights.”

For Aspinall, the fight represents a career-defining moment and a chance to prove he belongs at the very top of the sport. For Jones, it’s another chapter in an already legendary career, solidifying his status as one of the greatest fighters of all time.