Dana White shuts down talk of Corey Anderson vs. Jon Jones

Corey Anderson has been trying to get a fight against UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones for a while now, but according to UFC president Dana White, that’s not happening anytime soon.

White said Saturday night following UFC 240 that he will not grant Anderson his request to fight Jones for the title next.

Here’s what White had to say (h/t Damon Martin):

Dana White shoots down Corey Anderson getting the next shot against Jon Jones:

"Corey Anderson's turned down about 50 fights in the last month. So no" #UFC240

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) July 28, 2019

“Corey Anderson’s turned down about 50 fights in the last month. So no.” — Dana White

Anderson has been vocal on social media lately in the wake of Jones’ latest legal issues. He also recently confronted Jones at an autograph signing in New Jersey.

A former Ultimate Fighter winner, Anderson has a solid 9-4 record inside the Octagon, and he’s currently riding a three-fight win streak. However, all three of those recent wins have come by decision, and he only has two stoppage wins overall in the UFC. The UFC tends to prefer giving title shots to fighters coming off of finishes, so it’s not surprising Anderson will have to get back in line for Jones’ belt.

With Anderson out of the title picture for now, the options for Jones’ next title defense are somewhat limited. Thiago Santos, who gave Jones a tough fight at UFC 239, is out until next year, so a rematch is out of the question. Dominick Reyes, who appeared to be next in line for the belt, is booked against Chris Weidman at UFC Boston in October. Jan Blachowicz, who just finished Luke Rockhold at UFC 239, could therefore be next in line.

However, what seems most likely is the UFC waits to see what happens in the main event at UFC 241 between UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic. There’s a chance Jones could fight either man once that fight takes place. For now, Jones will figure out his legal issues and prepare to make another title defense before 2019 is up.

With Corey Anderson not getting the next title shot against Jon Jones, who do you think should fight the champion next?