Jon Jones applauds Dana White's unwavering support for defending his UFC P4P crown

Ahead of UFC 309, Jon Jones had a sitdown with seasoned MMA journalist Kevin Iole, during which he praised Dana White's relentless defense of his status as the UFC pound-for-pound (P4P) best fighter. White has found himself in many arguments with countless Jones detractors.

Despite Jones' inactivity and the rise of other fighters, White has refused to entertain the possibility of any other fighter being ahead of 'Bones' in the promotion's pound-for-pound ladder. Naturally, Jones expressed great appreciation for White's undying loyalty to him.

"It's just an honor, that's all. It's just a huge honor to even be considered, at 37 years old, one of the most well-rounded winners in our sport still. It's a huge honor and I'm just very grateful that my boss, a man who sat front for all of our fights, for him to say, 'Hey, listen guys. Trust me. I know what I'm watching, I know what I'm looking at and in my opinion, if Jon was the same size as a lot of these other guys, Jon would be in the mix.'"

Check out Jon Jones showing appreciation for Dana White's loyalty (11:44):

Jones will look to cement his status as an unbeaten GOAT next Saturday, when he faces former heavyweight champion and divisional legend Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. The matchup has enraged countless fans who feel that 'Bones' should be unifying the titles with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

Unfortunately, Jones has expressed zero interest in facing Aspinall, prompting many to accuse him of being fearful of losing, even questioning his legacy.

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Jon Jones' relationship with Dana White hasn't always been positive

While UFC CEO Dana White has become something of a meme for his undying support for Jon Jones, this wasn't always the case. Back in 2020, when 'Bones' flirted with a heavyweight fight with Francis Ngannou, the UFC CEO was irate over Jones' financial demands for the bout.

At the UFC Vegas post-fight press conference, White fired back at Jones' claim that he was tarnishing his reputation.

"In one of those tweets he's saying that I tarnished his—I tarnished you? You've done a very good job of tarnishing you."

Check out Dana White's dismissal of Jon Jones' complaints (18:34):

As White claimed, Jones was allegedly demanding financial compensation similar to what heavyweight boxing sensation Deontay Wilder used to earn at the height of his career. Jones, however, disputed this claim, rendering it a mystery as to why his bout with Ngannou never materialized.