Jones 'agreed' to fight Aspinall - White

UFC president Dana White says he cannot extremity Jon Jones from retiring, contempt nan American having "agreed" to conflict Tom Aspinall.

White was responding to nan societal media activity of nan UFC heavyweight champion, who suggested he was retired earlier calling retired ex-UFC combatant Francis Ngannou.

Speaking astatine nan UFC 316 post-fight news conference, White said 37-year-old Jones had said thing astir retiring to him and that he was only willing successful matching him pinch Aspinall.

"Tom Aspinall is nan guy. If nan feline wants to discontinue and doesn't want to fight, there's thing you tin do," White said.

"I didn't want Khabib [Nurmagomedov] to retire, I thought [Daniel Cormier] should've stayed successful it longer, truthful it's nary of my business.

"I'll do what I tin to make nan fight, if we can, if he's talking that crazy, I didn't realise that."

With Ngannou fuelling speculation he mightiness beryllium unfastened to a return to nan UFC, White played down nan chances moreover if it was to conflict Jones.

"It's Aspinall's fight," White said.

Aspinall, 32, has been nan interim champion for 18 months and has publically said he believes Jones is retired.

White has been insisting since past November, erstwhile Jones past fought, nan bout pinch Aspinall would hap adjacent and clarified that - while Jones had agreed to nan conflict - he had not signed a contract.

"John agreed to conflict Tom," he said.

"Jon Jones agreed to do nan fight. Jon Jones was offered nan woody and accepted nan deal."