Jon Jones has finally set down his terms for a Tom Aspinall showdown. The champ may be warming up to the idea of fighting the Brit if he retains the title against Stipe Miocic, but he will need to see a massive check to make it worth his while.
In a live stream with Adin Ross, the UFC ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion said,
“The only way that we do it is if Dana and Hunter give me a check that really changes my mind… I want it to be really worth my while. But right now it really really doesn’t feel worth my while.”
Jones also talked about the fans trolling him for “ducking” and added that none of it helps their cause. In fact, he feels even more inclined to not accept the fight because of all the trash-talking he’s been at the receiving end of.
That’s still a bit pricey but it’s better than nothing since Bones is at least considering the title unification fight. Although he is making it sound like there’s a lot of choice of him out there.
UFC President Dana White had earlier given him an ultimatum and said that if he were to fight under the UFC banner, he would have to fight Aspinall next.
If he wins that one, White would allow him to take on Alex Pereira.
But for now, all eyes are on UFC 309 as Jones defends his belt against Miocic. If he retains, White believes his repeated claims about Jones being the Pound for Pound #1 will finally be reflected in the official rankings.
Jon Jones as #1 P4P is ‘undeniable’
White has never been too shy about how he believes Jones should be the #1 ranked P4P fighter in the UFC as long as he is active, even though that’s just not how it works. Jones has had one fight in four years.
But ahead of UFC 309, White has argued his point once again and asserted that if ‘Bones’ could secure a victory over Miocic, it would change everybody’s mind about him.
“Not if he wins, this dude has never lost a fight in 16 years, in Mixed Martial Arts, what else is there to say?…..He’s the pound for pound best fighter in the world, it’s undeniable, it’s ridiculous.”
Jones had the opportunity to solidify his place at the top of P4P rankings back in the day when he took 3 years to gain weight and make a move to heavyweight. At the time, Francis Ngannou was the heavyweight champion. Jones, of course, returned a few weeks after Ngannou departed from the company.
Funnily enough, White also claims that Jones is the reason the then-heavyweight champion left the UFC. He claims ‘The Predator’ was not ready to fight Jones for the belt.
However, Ngannou has painted a very different picture of his departure from the organization. He claims they were not paying him enough for the kind of money he was attracting and the business he was generating. There are also reports that Ngannou had wanted a guaranteed purse for his opponents as well, something that the PFL granted him but UFC wasn’t willing to.
