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“Let me just put it this way. Jon Jones wasn’t asking for $5 million more dollars; he was asking for an obscene amount of money.”
Dana White has doubled down on his claim about Jon Jones asking for ‘an obscene amount of money’ to fight Francis Ngannou, urging the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion to reveal his initial asking price.
Dana White on First Take (@FirstTake) this morning: Let me just put it this way. Jon Jones wasn't asking for $5 million more dollars; he was asking for an obscene amount of money. And if Jon Jones wants to speak publicly and say what the number was, that's up to him.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) May 29, 2020
“Let me just put it this way. Jon Jones wasn’t asking for $5 million more dollars; he was asking for an obscene amount of money. And if Jon Jones wants to speak publicly and say what the number was, that’s up to him,” White said on a recent episode of First Take.
White’s comments come after Jones accused the UFC president of lying about the negotiation process. ‘Bones’ didn’t reveal the specifics but said White’s claims were ‘bullsh-t’ and accused the longtime fight promoter of lying to the fans.
I was over the situation, but I’m not gonna sit back and allow Dana to lie to the fans. I never asked for an absurd amount of money. That’s bullshit
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 29, 2020
“I was over the situation, but I’m not gonna sit back and allow Dana to lie to the fans. I never asked for an absurd amount of money. That’s bullshit,” Jones said in one Tweet.
You already let me down a bit by shutting down this Francis Mega fight, don’t add salt to the wound by telling the fans something that’s not the truth.
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 29, 2020
“You already let me down a bit by shutting down this Francis Mega fight, don’t add salt to the wound by telling the fans something that’s not the truth,” he posted in another Tweet.
Later, during a media scrum ahead of this week’s UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns event, White clarified his statements—telling reporters that Jones “wants what Deyontay Wilder was paid.”
“I’ll quote him and what he had said to my lawyer. He told my lawyer he wants what Deontay Wilder was paid,” White said. “I think it was $30 million was what Deontay Wilder was paid.”
Wilder had an official purse of $5 million for his second bout against Tyson Fury. However, that purse came with a reported $25 million (plus PPV points) that Wilder was guaranteed.
Speaking to Aaron Bronsteter of TSN, White added that, “Jon Jones has a contract, and he’s got a good one. He’s not going to make that absurd amount of money in these times right now, to move up and fight at heavyweight.”
White did try to clarify that he doesn’t want to get into a war of words with Jones over the exact negotiation figures (although he did offer to “take a lie detector test”). However, he feels that Jones has made his fair share of money during his time in the UFC.
“I don’t want to go there with this guy,” White said, following his “lie detector” comments. “The guy’s made a lot of money. If you look at Jon Jones’ track record, show me somebody that has the track record that this guy has and has made the money that Jon Jones has made. It doesn’t happen. It’s not like I’m out here on some smash Jon Jones crusade. I like Jon.”
As for Ngannou, ‘The Predator’ has said he won’t fight Jones unless the UFC makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
“Oh no, no. F-ck no,” Ngannou said when asked whether he would fight Jones for the same money as Rozenstruik. “What are you talking about? Be clear, be sure about that. That’s not happening.”
Jones, 32, hasn’t fought since his controversial unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. The JacksonWink talent is ranked #1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound fighter rankings.
