Jon Jones has been loud about wanting a place at the UFC’s historic White House event, but Dana White has made it clear that he is not buying the idea. Why? All because of Jones’ track record of unpredictability and previous issues with the promotion. However, not everyone in the MMA community agrees that locking him out is the proper decision. In fact, Daniel Cormier, Jones’ biggest rival turned pundit, believes the UFC might be missing an opportunity.

‘DC’ stated on his YouTube channel that he disagreed with White’s attitude and emphasized the necessity of having top American fighters on the show. For Cormier, an event on the White House lawn is about more than just spectacle; it’s about ensuring that the right fighters get the attention.

Daniel Cormier believes Dana White should let Jon Jones fight at the White House

“Imagine if we’re on the White House lawn and the Americans aren’t winning fights,” he said. “I believe that you gotta let him fight, man.” At the same time, Cormier acknowledged Jones’ reliability concerns, which is where his million-dollar protection comes into play. “I think that you put some things in his contract that makes it very costly to not follow through,” he explained. “Say something happens in the law and he has to be pulled off the card – a million dollars. Say he just says he doesn’t want to fight – a million dollars.”

For ‘DC,’ the idea is simple: if ‘Bones’ wants the platform, he must accept the risk of bailing out. Cormier went on to distinguish between bad luck and bad behavior. If Jon Jones sustained a legitimate injury in camp, he argued, the penalty should be lifted. “If the injury is proven, charge him nothing. He’s just a normal fighter that got hurt in training camp,” Cormier explained.

But anything else, whether it’s legal trouble, another negotiation deadlock, or simply backing out, should result in the $1 million fine. “You put these safeguards in place to make sure he shows up there,” he stated, pointing out that a card featuring Jones and Conor McGregor would draw “massive eyes” to the UFC. Well, one thing is for sure: the suggestion shows how divided the sport is on Jones’ future.

On the one hand, Dana White is sure that trusting Jon Jones on such a massive stage is too risky. Daniel Cormier, on the other hand, believes there is value in giving the heavyweight another shot, as long as any mistakes come at a high cost. It’s a rare occasion when the former double champion’s rivalry with Jones takes a backseat to business.

Instead, his plan, as audacious as it seems, may be the only way to bridge the gap between the UFC’s reservations and Jones’ ambition to make history. And if they manage to do it, it will be a major success for sure. But how are we so confident about it? Well, that’s because Cormier himself explained why the UFC will have to book Jon Jones to deliver a happy ending for the fans.

Daniel Cormier draws parallels between movies and Jon Jones’ return

Daniel Cormier didn’t simply stop with financial safeguards. He took it a step further, painting a picture of why Jon Jones belongs on the card. For him, it’s more than just logistics and contracts; it’s about the experience. In the aforementioned YouTube video, he argued that the UFC’s White House event deserved a nice finale, just like a blockbuster movie does.

Fans should not leave disappointed; rather, they should leave buzzing, knowing they witnessed something truly historic. To get his point across, Cormier even used a movie reference. “It’s why the good guys win at the end of the movies,” he said, adding that no one leaves a movie theater wanting to be disappointed.

The exception, he said, was Million Dollar Baby, a film that he claimed made him hate the way he felt afterwards. His bigger message was clear: Jon Jones is the American celebrity capable of providing fans with the emotional high they seek at such a momentous occasion. Without him, Cormier suggested, the show could fall flat.

And when you combine that possibility with Conor McGregor’s clash against Michael Chandler, the scene becomes even more interesting. Having Jones and McGregor fight on the same card, which has never happened before, would take the spectacle to new heights. The UFC sells moments, not just fights, and watching Jones and McGregor share the spotlight at the White House may be the biggest of them all.