Dana White confident Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall will happen this year: "Nothing is holding it up"

Dana White wholeheartedly believes that the much-desired Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall matchup will take place this year. He said as much in a recent and brief interview with American sports broadcast host Jim Rome, touching on numerous topics relating to the UFC's plans for 2025.

Besides a potential Conor McGregor return, there is no bigger matchup that the promotion can book than a heavyweight title unification between the division's reigning champion in Jones and the interim titleholder in Aspinall. Despite Jones' resistance to the bout, White has expressed confidence in booking it.

"We're in the works, we're talking on it. I mean, I've said that I'm very confident that fight happens this year."

When asked if anything, perhaps Jones' purse demands, could be delaying the bout announcement, the UFC CEO was quick to dismiss the issue.

"Nothing. Nothing's holding it up. It's just a matter of getting it done. You know, this stuff, it's not as easy to put these type of fights together as people think they are. They take time and we'll get it done."

Check out Dana White vowing to book Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall (2:37:37):

Aspinall himself is hopeful that the fight will be booked, having recently announced that he has started training in anticipation of it. Jones, however, has remained silent on the matter, with his last statement regarding a bout with Aspinall being about wanting to be well-rewarded.

Both men represent the pinnacle of heavyweight MMA, with Aspinall having decimated everyone he has faced in the promotion. In fact, his only UFC loss was due to a freak injury against Curtis Blaydes, who he quickly knocked out in the rematch. Meanwhile, 'Bones' is coming off a dominant TKO of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

---

Dana White hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with Jon Jones

While the Tom Aspinall bout is the latest matchup Dana White is eyeing for Jon Jones, there was a previous one that led to a bitter clash. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was once the opponent that the MMA world sought to watch Jones face.

Unfortunately, the fight never came to be, as White claimed that Jones was requesting an unreasonable fight purse.

"I'll quote him and what he said to my lawyer. He told my lawyer he wants what Deontay Wilder was paid."

Check out Dana White's issues with Jon Jones' past pay demands (4:12):