Jon Jones gave up the light heavyweight title to take a run at heavyweight, at becoming the baddest man on the planet, which he just may have been all along anyway. UFC president Dana White said Jones would get an immediate title shot vs. the winner of Francis Ngannou vs. then champion Stipe Miocic, in the main event of UFC 260 on March 27. Ngannou won and the mother of all superfights to date appeared to be at hand. However, Jones wants super compensation, and, oddly negotiations with the UFC were carried out over the social network.
Pay has been an ongoing issue between Jones and White, with the UFC previously flatly rejecting what White characterized as a request for Deontay Wilder money to fight Ngannou when he was the title challenger. Deontay Wilder money is presumably the $30 million that Wilder reportedly received to box Tyson Fury last year. However, Jones bitterly argued that he had asked for that much, although he declined to name the figure he wants.
After the latest tweets, the figure is a little a little clearer – it’s a lot more than $8-10 million.
I had a brief phone meeting with UFC‘s lawyer Hunter a few days ago. As of right now I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to $10 million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That’s all that has been discussed so far.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
I’m supposed to be waiting for what their offer is going to be. Really hoping the numbers are nowhere near that low. I guess we will see what happens
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
One thing I’m sure of, I’ve never had more people excited to see A fight than they are now, I literally can’t walk to my mail box without someone asking me about the fight
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
I’ve been working my ass off for years, concussions, surgeries, fighting the Toughest competition UFC had to offer throughout my 20s for right around 2 million per fight. I’m just trying to have my payday, the fight that all of us fighters Believe is one day possible.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
I tweeted show me the money and that evidently pissed off the boss. What a learning lesson. I feel like if Connor would’ve sent that same tweet there would have been whiskey night.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
I believe I was grossly underpaid throughout my entire 20s. I’m not even here bitching about that. I just want to see the future done right.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
I feel like this fight is monumental, matchup‘s like this don’t come very often in a lifetime. Me stopping Francis in my first fight up at heavyweight would be nothing short of extraordinary. Ali versus foreman, hosted by the UFC
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
This fight has the potential to bring in hundreds of thousands of new fans from around the world. I can feel it in my bones how big this could be https://t.co/QD9kN3RfvZ
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
If Jones declines to fight Ngannou for a mutually acceptable purse, a rematch with Derrick Lewis will be The Predator’s first title defense. Unfortunately, as Jones noted, the first fight between the pair was a fan-unfriendly loss for the current champ.
I’ll do it for 8 million shiiiittt @ufc
— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) March 31, 2021
I’m sure he would, let him. Derek also doesn’t have 15 world championships on his resume. Their last fight was one of the most boring heavyweight fights in recent history. Completely different situation https://t.co/TlxS2NOCNg
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
However, the simple fact is that the UFC’s brand is bigger than that of Jones, or any other fighter. The UFC is an $8 billion or so corporation, while Jones’ net worth is likely in the low tens of millions. Even Conor McGregor‘s net worth of perhaps $300 million doesn’t come close to rivaling the UFC. By contrast, the most successful promoter in boxing, Bob Arum, has a net worth similar to McGregor’s; there is parity between the promoter and the talent.
Further, the UFC brand adds major value to a fight. If Wilder vs. Fury was promoted by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, Bob Arum’s Top Rank, or Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, or, as it happened, all three, no one much cares. If Jones were to fight outside the UFC, the best competition available might be Junior Dos Santos. And that fight is not going to make him Deontay Wilder money or even “Jon Jones money.”
So given the way the MMA market is structured at present, Jones doesn’t have the leverage to get what he wants. Given that, stirring things up in public is a smart move, but ultimately, isn’t likely to get him what he wants.
