Former UFC champion Jon Jones is once again talking in a way that makes you want to hit "rewind" and listen again. In his new video he is not just recalling past fights or discussing opponents — he is proposing to move the octagon to the place where presidential speeches are usually given: the lawn in front of the White House. It sounds crazy, but Jones himself insists there is solid logic in it.
"The Best Country and Its Chief Warrior"
"Look at it yourself: the strongest country on the planet, one of the best promotions in the world of combat sports, and me — a guy who has been fighting the strongest his whole career. Why shouldn't we all meet at one point?" — this is roughly how Jones formulates his idea.
He recalls that he grew up within this culture of challenge and rivalry: "This country was built on courage. On the willingness to go into conflict when you believe you're right. That is close to me: I have always stepped into the cage against the biggest and most dangerous and done everything to walk out of it as the winner."
For Jones this story is not only about his personal legacy, but also about how he sees his country: "America to me is people who don't back down. Promises that must be kept. A fighting spirit that does not rust with the years."
250 Years of the USA as the Main Card of the Night
The starting point of this whole idea is a date. In the summer of 2026 the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary, and Jones clearly wants to write himself into that jubilee.
"When a country turns two hundred and fifty, it needs more than fireworks and a parade. It needs a fight. A real one, an honest one, a spectacular one. The kind that will make the whole world once again see who we are," Jones says, turning up the heat.
According to him, the best way to mark the anniversary is to give the floor not only to politicians but also to fighters: "Let the strongest guys in this country show its character. Let the world see that we are not just a nation that keeps its promises, we are a nation of warriors."
An Octagon on the South Lawn and Weigh-Ins by Lincoln
The plan people are already talking about sounds cinematic: a UFC event on the South Lawn of the White House in June 2026, and the official weigh-in ceremony staged against the backdrop of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial.
"Imagine a cage on the grass in front of that 'special house.' Cameras, a crowd, flags, and somewhere back there, behind the white columns, the history of the country. Isn't that what a celebration of fighting spirit is supposed to look like?" Jones vividly paints the picture.
He stresses that he is not fixated on a specific spot on the map, but the symbolism matters to him: "Let it be a landmark place. The lawn by a house the whole world recognizes from the very first frame. The main thing is that on that day everyone sees that we still walk into fights and we do not give up."
"I'm Already Fired Up". Jones Throws Down a Challenge to the Future
At the end of his address Jones does not sound like a man who is just daydreaming — more like a fighter who is already walking to the cage in his mind: "I'm charged up. I'm ready. Give me this arena, give me a date — and I'll do everything I can to make you proud. God bless the USA."
The idea of a UFC event at the walls of the White House still looks like the plot of a blockbuster, but that is exactly how a new chapter in sport often begins: with a line from one person who decides to voice a crazy yet beautiful challenge. Jon Jones has already made his move — now the question is whether America will dare to turn its anniversary into the main fight for the status of a nation of warriors.
