Jones would later say the UFC refused to pay what he asked for to face Ngannou and UFC President Dana White said Jones asked for an absurd amount of money to face the heavyweight star.
“It’s one thing if you come out and say, ‘Yeah, listen, I want a little more money,'” White said during an appearance on ESPN (via Nolan King of MMA Junkie). “The amount of money Jon Jones wanted doesn’t make (sense). First of all, you have, in the light heavyweight division, the Dominick Reyes fight as the fight that makes sense. So is Jon Jones going to go and fight Francis Ngannou, then try to take a run at the heavyweight title? I don’t believe that. He’s never wanted to move to heavyweight before. For the amount of money he’s asking for, it’s not going to happen. You couldn’t be asking for a more absurd amount of money at a worse time.”
There is no word yet on exactly how much money Jones wanted to face Ngannou in a super fight.
White also says that the light heavyweight still has some viable contenders to face in his own weight class.
“We’ve got guys lined up at light heavyweight, whether it’s Jan Blachowicz or Dominick Reyes,” White said.
The champion has faced Reyes before, but has yet to defend the light heavyweight gold against Blachowicz.
A short time after White made the above comments, a response would be given by Jones via Twitter:
It’s interesting to just sit here and watch your boss lie to the camera like this. We never discussed any increase in pay. Immediately the conversation was that I already made enough. I never made a number offer. https://t.co/YYx4FMHeIs
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 29, 2020
If you’re not going to change my contract for the heavyweight move, at least have the decency to be honest with the fans.
— 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
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 29, 2020
Absolute bullshit
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 29, 2020
