In the fight game, money talks just as much as knockouts and title belts. Some fighters rake in massive paydays because of their skills, others because of their ability to sell a fight, and a select few manage to do both. But when it comes to the UFC, there’s always been one man who stands above the rest when it comes to blockbuster paydays – Conor McGregor.
So, when Jon Jones started making demands for a massive payout ahead of a potential heavyweight title showdown with Tom Aspinall, the debate kicked off once again: Is he worth it?
Well, if you ask Jones‘ former foe, Daniel Cormier, the answer is a resounding no. Whether it’s lingering bad blood from their heated rivalry or just an honest take, Cormier believes there’s only one fighter in the UFC who deserves those sky-high numbers—and it’s not the American.
Rumors have circulated that he was seeking a $30 million purse for the fight, a figure that UFC President Dana White has dismissed as “bulls**t.” However, Jones has expressed his intention to earn “f*** you money” to face Aspinall, indicating his desire for a substantial financial incentive.
However, historically Jones’ pay-per-view (PPV) numbers have been strong but not record-breaking. His highest-selling event was UFC 214 against Cormier himself, which garnered 860,000 buys. In contrast, McGregor’s bouts have consistently surpassed the million-buy mark, with UFC 229 against Khabib Nurmagomedovin 2018 reaching 2.4 million buys.
And this is exactly the point Cormier is trying to make. “You think that Jon is worth paying $15 million for?… Only Conor would be worth paying $15 million. Conor had a $22 million gate when he pulled out of that fight with Michael Chandler on the pre-sale.”, Cormier said.
Interestingly, earlier another UFC veteran Henry Cejudo had backed Jones to get a $30 million purse. Citing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s example, the former Olympic gold medalist had said, “If the UFC was able to offer Khabib Nurmagomedov $40 million, what is the greatest of all time worth? I would say Jon stick to that number and I would not go past the dude.”
However, regardless of exhausting discussions about the supposed financial remuneration, it seems Jones is setting up new demands for the title unification bout.
Jones wants 6 months to prepare
There’s nothing stopping Jones vs. Aspinall from happening, except the undisputed champion himself. UFC CEO Dana White wants fans to chill out and stop stressing about when the heavyweight title unification fight will happen. He’s even guaranteeing it’ll go down in 2025.
But don’t expect anything too soon because, according to Ariel Helwani, Jones wants six full months to prepare once the fight is officially locked in.
“The clock is ticking on a summer fight,” Helwani said on YouTube. “Because if Jon really wants six months, that puts us in September. And while money talks, it does feel like the summer window is slipping away.”
Meanwhile, Aspinall is over the endless Jones speculation. Instead of waiting around, he’s focusing on other things until the UFC makes it official. The interim champ hasn’t fought since dominating Curtis Blaydes last summer at UFC 304 in Manchester.
As for Jones, he’s been out of action since submitting Stipe Miocic at UFC 309; his only second fight in five long years.
