logo
Jon Jones makes major career decision and puts shock phone call in to Dana White and UFC brass amid Tom Aspinall fallout

Jon Jones makes major career decision and puts shock phone call in to Dana White and UFC brass amid Tom Aspinall fallout

The Irish Sun13-07-2025
JON JONES has seemingly made yet another major decision about his fighting future, just weeks after retiring from mixed martial arts.
The former two-division champion ended fans' hopes of a mega heavyweight title unification bout with
5
Jon Jones announced his retirement from mixed martial arts late last month
Credit: GETTY
5
But he performed a U-turn earlier this month, just two weeks after hanging up his gloves
Credit: GETTY
5
Jones has now claimed he wants to fight on Donald Trump's proposed UFC White House Card
Credit: GETTY
But the 37-year-old performed a major U-turn on his retirement last week by re-entering the UFC's drug testing
pool
.
Jones has continued to umm and ahh over the idea of fighting again, although the prospect of facing Aspinall seemingly doesn't get his competitive juices flowing.
But the prospect of fighting at the proposed UFC White House card
next
year to mark America's 250th anniversary has piqued his interest.
And not long after learning of the promotion's grand plans, Jones put a call into Dana White and Co.
READ MORE ON UFC NEWS
In his latest X-posting spree, he wrote: "Donald made his announcement on the morning of the fourth of July.
"I called the UFC headquarters that very same afternoon. I'll leave it at that.
"America! Now that tickets my pickle."
Jones believes a fight on the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will be the most "epic" of his long and illustrious career.
Most read in MMA
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
5
He said: "It would be [the most epic fight in history].
"For me, it's about the opportunity to represent America at the White House."
Tom Aspinall Fires Not So Subtle Dig At Jon Jones After UFC Retirement (1)
MMA fans worldwide are hoping that Brit and the new
undisputed
heavyweight king Aspinall will face off against Jones if he indeed fights at the White House.
It would be fitting given that America, of course, got its independence from the
United Kingdom
.
Jones, however, could care little about who he fights at this moment in time.
He roared: "I don't care who I fight that night. I found my reason why, that's what I needed.
5
Jon Jones stopped Stipe Miocic with a sensational spinning back kick in his sole defence of the UFC heavyweight title
Credit: GETTY
"Something more than
money
."
Jones was offered the biggest payday of his Hall-of-Fame career after demanding "
F**K YOU MONEY
" to unify the interim and undisputed belts against Aspinall.
UFC supremo
White
claims Jones initially accepted the offer on the table before performing a U-turn and deciding to retire.
Jones - who
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Elderly Brit couple held by Taliban ‘may die in Afghan prison' as mum is ‘numb' & dad ‘chained up in basement shaking'
Elderly Brit couple held by Taliban ‘may die in Afghan prison' as mum is ‘numb' & dad ‘chained up in basement shaking'

The Irish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Elderly Brit couple held by Taliban ‘may die in Afghan prison' as mum is ‘numb' & dad ‘chained up in basement shaking'

AN ELDERLY Brit couple wrongfully jailed by Taliban may die in prison soon, their children fear. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie , 76, were Advertisement 5 Peter and Barbie Reynolds were scooped up in February and thrown into a brutal prison Credit: Supplied 5 The couple moved to Afghanistan in 2009, where they run training project The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects - but were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Speaking to the According to UN experts, Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, has had two eye infections and convulsions in his head and down his left arm. Advertisement more on the couple He recently collapsed, the experts added, while Barbie suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Jonathan said: "My dad's health is deteriorating fast. "Now he's maybe got something like early Parkinson's - tremors and shakes down the right side of his body, his arms and face." Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. "She has blue hands and feet to do with anaemia, malnutrition, just not getting the right healthcare," Jonathan added. I lived with Taliban for year secretly filming bloodthirsty terrorists' horror secrets… then orders were sent to kill me Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' Advertisement In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. Advertisement "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected concerns about rights violations. 5 Faye Hall, the couple's interprator, was arrested with them but later released Credit: AP 5 Hall was received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and confirmed to be in good health Credit: Reuters Advertisement He said: They are in constant contact with their families [and] consular services are available. "Efforts are underway to secure their release. These steps have not yet been completed. Their human rights are being respected. "They are being given full access to treatment, contact and accommodation." He did not say what steps were being taken to secure their release. Advertisement The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Advertisement Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. Advertisement On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been Advertisement The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was Hall, their interpretor, 5 The couple, aged 80 and 76, have received no explanation for their imprisonment

Fury as over 6,000 migrants use pre-paid cards loaded with £50 a week funded by YOU at betting shops & casinos
Fury as over 6,000 migrants use pre-paid cards loaded with £50 a week funded by YOU at betting shops & casinos

The Irish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Fury as over 6,000 migrants use pre-paid cards loaded with £50 a week funded by YOU at betting shops & casinos

OVER 6,000 migrants have used government-issued cards loaded with £50 a week at betting shops and casinos. Pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing were used in gambling venues, Home Office data reveals. Advertisement 1 Thousands of migrants have used government-issued cards loaded with £50 a week at betting shops and casinos Credit: Getty In the last year, up to 6,637 asylum seekers have used taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits. At the highest incidence, 227 While attempts to gamble online using the cards had been made, they were blocked each time so they were forced to use them in physical sites. There are currently around 80,000 ASPEN card users in the UK. Advertisement Read more on migrants Shadow Home Secretary "They have illegally entered this country without needing to – 'The British taxpayer has 'These illegal immigrants clearly don't need the money they are given if they are squandering it at casinos and arcades.' Advertisement Most read in The Sun Police swarm 4-star London hotel set to house asylum seekers as furious protesters gather outside

English seaside county votes to become UK's 5th nation on par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
English seaside county votes to become UK's 5th nation on par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Irish Sun

time13 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

English seaside county votes to become UK's 5th nation on par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

A SEASIDE county has voted to become the UK's 5th nation as it hopes to be put on a par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A proposal passed with a majority of votes on July 22. 4 Cornwall Council has voted to become the UK's 5th nation in a majority vote Credit: Getty 4 Council leader Leigh Frost believes it would improve funding in the area Credit: Cornwall Council 4 The council said it was facing a housing crisis, and issues with child poverty Credit: Getty 4 Since 2014, the Cornish have been recognised as a national minority Credit: Getty Cornwall Council passed the proposal with a vote of 53 to 22, with two abstentions. Council leader Leigh Frost believes that it would lead to fairer funding, stronger representation, and greater inclusion in national decision-making. It would also put the seaside town on a par with the other Celtic nations. Frost Read more News "It's time to show what Cornwall is made of." Previously, the 2025 State of Cornwall report had laid out the challenges the county was facing. It included low wages, high house prices and a housing crisis that pushes young people out of their home towns. In addition, the county is facing a struggling social care system, with limited public transport and child poverty. Most read in The Sun Meanwhile, the county has become popular among second-home owners looking to enjoy the beautiful beaches. The proposal was brought forward by Dick Cole, council member and leader of local political party Mebyon Kernow, in an attempt to address some of these issues. The seaside town of Newlyn in Cornwall has been dubbed as one of the 'coolest' places to relocate Despite the majority supporting the bill, local Reform councillors largely voted against the proposal. They cited concerns over the potential for tax increases and a loss of British identity. Cornwall's Local Democracy Reporting service reported that Reform member Rowland O'Connor said: "I identify as Cornish but also British. "It feels like I'm being asked to choose one or the other and I refuse to do that." Since 2014, the Cornish have been recognised as a national minority. This is in spite of their long-standing history, which Frost says out-dates England's. The vote came following an address by Frost on the "State of Cornwall in the National Context". As reported by the Following the successful vote, the council plans to write to Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to work towards getting the proposal enacted on a national level. They will also continue to build support on a local level among Cornwall's MPs.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store