Jon Jones' bitter rival shares heartfelt advice amid 'Bones's' UFC White House tease: "Please don't become what Conor has become"

Jon Jones recently expressed an interest in competing on the UFC's America250 card at the White House next year. However, his longtime rival Daniel Cormier doesn't think it's a good idea and urged Jones not to go down Conor McGregor's path.

After announcing his retirement last month, Jones claimed that he was back in the testing pool a few days ago after POTUS Donald Trump declared that the Independence Day 2026 celebrations will feature a UFC fight card going down in the White House. Jones soon expressed a keen interest in competing on that and hinted at ending his retirement.

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While many are excited about Jones potentially returning to the cage, Cormier believes it's a bad idea. The UFC legend recently explained his stance on the matter and saw Jones' move as an unnecessary media play.

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In an episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy show with Chael Sonnen, Cormier advised Jones to steer clear of the McGregor playbook and said:

"Let me say this, please don't become what Conor has become in the media. Every time a big story breaks, Conor's like, 'I'm back.' Don't do that. Don't try to make it about you, when you voluntarily walked away from this... Now that he's done, don't try to make these stories about you."

Catch Daniel Cormier's comments below (13:10):

Daniel Cormier explains why he believes Jon Jones "quit"

Daniel Cormier doesn't think Jon Jones retired. The UFC icon recently explained why he believes Jones "quit" instead of fighting Tom Aspinall for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship.

In an interview with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, 'DC' explained his thoughts on the matter and said:

"Jon quit. It's true. Call it what it is. Jon quit. Bro, I said this on my YouTube channel when Jon Jones and I were fighting, he says, 'I will see in the octagon a 38-year-old man while I'm just entering into my prime.' Those words are now the exact same words that can be spoken to him on the other side. When the words were related to him, he said I'm out. I'm not doing it. That's why I said he quit."

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Nishant brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his MMA reporting for Sportskeeda. During his 1.5 years with the organization and previous work, Nishant has established himself as a prolific writer in the MMA community. With a Bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism and a Master's degree in International Relations, Nishant's educational background enhances his analytical and reporting skills.

Nishant admires UFC legend Georges St-Pierre for his dominance and exemplary conduct inside and outside the cage. The monumental UFC 229 event, headlined by a grudge match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, captivated Nishant and solidified his passion for MMA.

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Edited by Nishant Zende.