UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has made it clear he’s not interested in facing Tom Aspinall unless the price is right – and that price needs to be substantial.
“I’ve been really clear about my intentions,” Jones stated. “I’ll retire the heavyweight belt if I have to. So Tom can have the heavyweight championship. I don’t really care about it.”
The champion appears more focused on a potential matchup with Alex Pereira, suggesting the Aspinall bout would require exceptional financial incentives to materialize.
“People can call me a duck and a chicken. I’m gonna go home and cash a massive check. Man, if that was my last fight ever, then I’m cool with that,” Jones explained.
When discussing negotiations regarding Aspinall, Jones didn’t mince words about his position. “There’s just a lot of people on his nuts right now. He’s annoying to me. If I give him the opportunity to fight me, I want to be so compensated.”
Jones then elaborated on his specific demands: “I want that fuck you money, honestly. A very, very high number. I want to be compensated to the point where if I won or lost, that it really wouldn’t matter.”
The champion concluded by emphasizing his leverage in the situation: “My life is perfect without him. I don’t need him at all and he needs me.”
Dana White was unimpressed with the demands made by the UFC champion. In the post-event press conference, Dana White revealed that Jon Jones is already earning a massive sum in the UFC. As per the head honcho, there is no need for him to demand more than what ‘Bones’ is already earning.
“Jon’s always been well compensated. You know, he’s always been well compensated. I would never put his total purse number out there, but it’s f***ing massive. The number that he went over tonight, he’s made a lot of money in his career. Listen, you don’t fight and disappear for five years because you weren’t well compensated. He makes a lot of money.”
