UFC CEO Dana White says if heavyweight champion Jon Jones plans to continue fighting after facing Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on Saturday, there is only one option and that is to face current interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

White appeared on “The Jim Rome Show” to address Jones’ claims that he has no interest in taking on Aspinall and will instead look to face light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira if he successfully wins his title against Miocic would defend. White shut down the idea unequivocally, making it clear that Jones only has one option if he wants to continue his fighting career in the UFC.

“If Jon Jones wants to fight again after Saturday night, he will fight Tom Aspinall,” White said.

Jones has remained adamant that a unification fight is not in his plans and has even gone so far as to say he is willing to vacate the championship to take on Pereira for a version of the “BMF” championship. As his fight with Miocic draws closer, Jones digs in his heels and says Aspinall is a “son of a bitch” he doesn’t want to do business with. However, White does not agree with that idea.

“He’s not fighting Pereira,” White said. “(Pereira) was a middleweight who moved up to light heavyweight. He is also a kickboxer who has done very, very well in MMA. His wrestling is not even close to Jon Jones’ level, and Jon Jones is much bigger than him.”

Pereira is a former middleweight champion who moved up to light heavyweight in November 2023 and captured UFC gold. The Brazilian has defended the championship three times in a UFC record 175 days. He has teased the move up to heavyweight to become the first fighter to win world championships in three weight classes, and Jones seems more than willing to take on the challenge.

Jones is a former light heavyweight champion who moved up to heavyweight last year and won the vacant championship against Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Jones was set to make his first title defense against Miocic last November. However, he suffered an injury that ultimately postponed the fight. Aspinall’s fight with Sergei Pavlovich was elevated to an interim title fight, which the British fighter won with a first-round knockout.

Aspinall is 8-1 in the UFC with all eight of his wins coming in less than seven minutes of fight time and his only loss coming when he injured his leg in the opening seconds against Curtis Blaydes. Although Aspinall has had a historic run, White wouldn’t go so far as to say Jones was avoiding Aspinall.

“If anyone says he’s dodging anyone, Jon Jones is about 37, 38 years old. He’s fought everyone. He’s fought the best in the world in his prime and has been doing so since he was 23 years old. he doesn’t.” don’t avoid anyone,” White said.

While a fight between Jones and Pereira might be one of the biggest the UFC can stage, White is keen for Aspinall to get his chance to unify the titles and believes Jones will eventually come around to the idea.

“That’s classic Jon Jones,” White said of the champion’s recent temperament. “Jon will do what he does on Saturday; if he wins, he will disappear for a while, and then that competitive spirit will bubble up again. Then money will talk. If he doesn’t decide to retire, he absolutely will. against Tom Aspinall.”