Jon Jones has said in recent weeks that he won’t be back in the Octagon, until the UFC is willing to guarantee him more money for all-star bouts with the likes of Israel Adesanya. Well, as the promotion gets set to begin the second half of 2020, it doesn’t look like the light-heavyweight champ’s changing that stance.
Jones says he’s willing to sit out for “two” or “three” years
After Jones claimed the UFC wasn’t willing to guarantee more money for a fight with Francis Ngannou, for a brief time, it looked like the champ was going to return and defend his light-heavyweight title. But, that cooling down period didn’t last, and tensions ratcheted right up again.
So much so, Jones has claimed he’s vacating the light-heavyweight crown.
Dana White has said he’ll “figure it out” with the renowned fighter, but to date, it doesn’t sound like that bridge has been rebuilt. For example, recently Jones appeared on Steve-O’s “Wild Ride!” podcast, and he said this (quotes via MMA Fighting).
“I got nothing to lose being the position I’m in right now,” Jones said. “No, I don’t want to fight soon. I have no interest in fighting in the UFC until I get paid what I believe I’m worth.
A lot of fans will continue to watch the UFC and support the UFC and I have no problem with that. I just ordered the last pay-per-view myself.
“But I think it’s really powerful when you stand up for what you believe is right. I think that eventually the UFC will realize that they’re being stubborn.
They’ll realize they do have a special athlete in myself. I think they’ll eventually meet me halfway.”
Jones cites financial hardships of other fighters
Jones didn’t stop at talking about his own, specific contract with the UFC, as the 32-year-old star also said this.
“I’m not asking for anything outrageous,” Jones said. “I know we’re in a pandemic and I know when you’re a multi-millionaire and you’re asking for more it makes you seem like this greedy person and all this type of things.
I’m very aware of all this. But I’m also very aware that I have the voice and the platform to make change.
“Most of the guys who are doing the absolute worst [financially] are not in a position that they could say publicly, ‘I have a second job, I’m borrowing money from my parents.’
I know so many fighters that are living in the Jackson’s MMA gym because they can’t afford to have their own apartment and they’re UFC fighters. This is sad.”
Yup, Jones certainly isn’t the only person to question why some fighters who are competing for the world’s biggest MMA promotion, still have trouble making ends meet.
The question is, however, if Jones does receive a new, bigger deal, will he continue to call attention to the issue of fighter pay?
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