Why is Jon Jones not fighting Tyson Fury for eight figures? That is a question that was recently asked of UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. ‘Bones’ is widely regarded as the best MMA fighter of all time. After taking a three-year break, he returned to the UFC ring to face off against Ciryl Gane. In just over two minutes of the first round, ‘Bones’ secured a guillotine choke, submitting ‘Bon Gamin’ in Jones’ heavyweight debut. Following his win, he challenged one of the best UFC heavyweights, Stipe Miocic. The two are now slated to compete at UFC 295 in November. Even though ‘Bones’ got some exciting fights after returning to the UFC, many wanted to see him fight former champ Francis Ngannou.
At the moment, Ngannou is all set to fight against Fury on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The heavyweight clash will help ‘The Predator’ earn more than $10 million. However, a few months ago, many believed that Jones would fight Fury in the UFC, as the two went on a social media banter, calling out each other. Let’s find out what Jones has to say about a potential fight against Fury.
Jon Jones talks Tyson Fury and mega-money purse
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Jon Jones recently made an appearance on the ‘Over Dogs’ podcast. During the chat, he was asked about when he would fight Tyson Fury like Francis Ngannou to earn a whopping eight-figure paycheck. After listening to the question, Jones revealed that he is already earning an eight-figure sum in the UFC. He said, “I make eight figures in the UFC.“
Talking further on the same topic, Jones added, “I’m always happy for the guys man. That’s why, that’s one of the reasons why I like Conor McGregor. [It] is because of the progression of the sport, what he was able to do for us and I’m proud of Francis as well. The Sport has been good to me.” According to ‘Bones, the sport has done so much good to him. He feels that because of MMA, he is able to earn a great deal, which helps him look after his family.
This statement may surprise those who expected the consensus GOAT to take shots at Ngannou. However, he has a point. When Jones made his long-awaited heavyweight debut, he did so on top of a mammoth contract from the UFC. The 36-year-old signed an 8-fight deal with the promotion, banking a figure in the ballpark of what Conor McGregor earns for his UFC outings. However, the only person that did not benefit from these moves was UFC president Dana White, who could not set up Jones vs. Ngannou as he initially wanted or Jones vs. Fury later.
Dana White lost out on two historic Jones bouts
A few months ago, Tyson Fury and Jon Jones ended up calling each other out. A huge verbal war broke out when UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed that ‘The Gypsy King’ does not stand a chance against Jones in MMA. Rogan’s comment spread like wildfire, and many began to take sides. Jon Jones openly declared that he wanted to fight Fury in the UFC. When the UFC president, Dana White, came across the whole drama, he was ready to arrange a monumental clash between Jones and Fury.
Back then White said, “I’m telling Tyson Fury, who I respect very much: If you really want to find out who the baddest man on the planet is, I will make that fight.” White wanted to arrange a showdown similar to that of Conor McGregor versus Floyd Mayweather. He was even ready to figure out the paycheck of Fury like he did for Mayweather. Unfortunately, the bout between Jones and Fury in the UFC didn’t materialize, and ‘The Gypsy King’ ended up taking up a boxing match against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Do you want to see Jon Jones locking horns against Tyson Fury? Let us know in the comments below.
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