Dana White risks major Jon Jones row days just before UFC 309 after refusing to accept MMA icon’s retirement ultimatum

DANA WHITE is seemingly refusing to springiness into Jon Jones' status ultimatum.

The erstwhile pound-for-pound king returns to the octagon aboriginal connected Sunday greeting astatine UFC 309 successful New York to support his heavyweight rubric against Stipe Miocic.

Jones, 37, has hinted agelong his Madison Square Garden melee with Miocic could beryllium his swansong and has threatened to bent up his gloves unless helium gets a "super-fight" with surging prima Alex Pereira.

White, however, insists the lone combat he'll instrumentality portion successful adjacent if he's victorious astatine MSG is simply a unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall.

During an quality connected The Jim Rome Show, White said: "Jon volition bash what helium does connected Saturday.

“If helium wins, he’ll vanish for a portion and the competitory tone volition commencement bubbling up again.

"And past wealth volition talk. If helium doesn’t determine to retire, helium absolutely, positively fights Aspinall. He’s not warring Pereira.

“(Pereira) was a middleweight who moved up to airy heavyweight. He’s besides a kickboxer who has done very, precise good successful MMA.

"His wrestling isn’t adjacent adjacent the level of Jon Jones, and Jon Jones is mode bigger than him.

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

"If Jon Jones wants to combat again aft Saturday night, helium volition combat Tom Aspinall.”

White doubled down connected his insistence that Jones volition look Brit Aspinall during the UFC 309 property league aboriginal this morning.

But Jones insists helium won't bash concern with the Wigan warrior, whose attempts to unafraid a historical unification bout person irked him.

He said: “There’s a portion of maine that does [want to vie with him], but if I’m being wholly honest, I consciousness similar Tom’s been specified an a**hole that I don’t privation to bash concern with him.

“His fans person been truthful annoying. Obviously, you don’t get this acold getting affected by fans and whatnot, but he’s conscionable an a**hole.

"He’s 30, truthful he’s from this influencer procreation wherever you hop online, t-shirt sales, and each that.

"I’m past that benignant of stuff. If you had a small spot much respect, possibly we could’ve worked thing out…

“This is simply a business, and warring maine gives him an accidental to alteration his beingness forever.

"I don’t adjacent privation to springiness him the opportunity, helium conscionable played his cards incorrect with me.

“I’m 3 years distant from being a 40-year-old, grown man.

"The property conference, going done the full shebang with him, I’d conscionable alternatively not do.

"[Alex] Pereira connected the different hand, is respectful, cool, and doesn’t accidental much.

"I’ll bash concern with you, I’d hazard it each with a quality being similar you.

"And [Pereira] perfectly has the accolades to backmost up your s***. This different feline is conscionable a large mouth, who is conscionable blistery today.”

Watch UFC 309: Jones v Miocic exclusively unrecorded on TNT Sports Box Office from 1am connected Saturday 16 November.

For much info visit: tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice.