Rashad Evans thinks Jon Jones will have to make a number of concessions if he really wants to convince the UFC brass to compete at the White House.
UFC Hall of Famer and analyst Evans has a lengthy history with Jones. They started as friends and teammates, then turned into rivals that led to a high-profile fight at UFC 145 won by “Bones,” and now, ultimately, they are acquaintances on good terms.
Evans is a full supporter of Jones making a return to the octagon to fight on the planned June 2026 card in Washington, D.C., but he understands UFC CEO Dana White’s perspective.
White has been adamant that he can’t trust Jones to make it to the octagon without any potential pre-fight issues. Although Jones apologized to the UFC boss for his part in the failed booking of a title fight with Tom Aspinall, it doesn’t seem White is willing to budge.
“You’ve got to make him beg a little bit,” Evans told MMA Junkie. “You’ve got to make him beg so that you know he’s buying all the way in. You’ve got to make him beg, make him plead his case, and that way he can totally buy in, and that way there’s going to be none of those antics, and he’s going to be showing up to practice and showing up to make sure he’s the best he can be for that fight.
“Having Jon Jones on a card, you want to be able to have an American on there who is going to be able to go out there with a big name and win the fight. In America right now, we don’t have any champions right now. No one that’s going to be a for sure lock like Jon Jones. It’d be good to have him out there. Here’s the thing: Jon Jones, he’s the man. You’ve got to be able to see Jon Jones and be able to understand, you’re going to get the viewership if you put him on the card.”
If Jones is willing and able to grovel his way back into White’s good graces, then that might only be the start. There was an alleged $30 million price tag offered to Jones for the Aspinall fight this year. Evans finds it tough to believe that will still be on the table, even if the opponent is the same and the stage is bigger.
“I don’t think it’s going to be for that price,” Evans said. “I feel like that was a once-in-a-lifetime type of situation at that price. I feel the fact that he’s trying to campaign to get on the card so hard, is a big reason why he probably won’t get that fight.”
To hear more from Evans, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
