Can Jon Jones’ counter-negotiation with UFC president Dana White land him in trouble? Last night, with his 3rd-round spinning kick knockout win over Stipe Miocic at UFC’s 8th PPV installment at Madison Square Garden, the heavyweight king further cemented his in the promotion. However, ‘Bones’ may soon find himself at odds with UFC head honcho Dana White, who might push for him to face Tom Aspinall next.

Jones, undeterred by the “ducking” claims and criticism, recently revealed his intention to challenge UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in a heavyweight clash. However, Dana White remains steadfast in his push for “the biggest heavyweight showdown” between Jones and Aspinall, leaving fans concerned about the ongoing negotiations between the two.

Many wonder how long Jones can continue his back-and-forth to push his agenda of taking up fights on his terms. Recently, former fighter Chael Sonnen, speaking to Daniel Cormier on Instagram, questioned Jones’ strategy, stating, “Jon has started what we call publicly negotiating, a tactic that has worked in the past, but it rarely ends well. I thought it was a bad look when Jon said, ‘I will fight, but I will fight him for money.'”

While White is generally known as a fair person, he doesn’t take kindly to any actions that undermine his billion-dollar promotion. Jon Jones, however, once again attempted to challenge the UFC’s authority, prompting the UFC CEO to swiftly set the record straight.

Dana White responds to Jon Jones’ uncanny request

Yesterday, Jon Jones temporarily set aside his retirement plans to give fans the fight they’ve been waiting for—a heavyweight clash against interim champion Tom Aspinall. However, this highly anticipated matchup comes with a significant request from Jones: a higher salary or what Jones termed as “fu*k you money!” after his UFC 309 main event clash.

Earlier this month, in a candid interview, Jones expressed his desire for compensation on par with the big earners in combat sports, like Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. He explained, “I just want to see if he’s (Dana White) willing to compensate me. You know what I mean? I see these guys out there making some really big bucks—Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, and all that type of stuff.”

However, when Dana White caught wind of Jones’ comments at the post-UFC 309 press conference, he debunked the claims, stating that Jones had always been well-compensated. White said, “You know, he’s (Jon Jones) always been well-compensated. I would never put his total purse number out there, but it’s f***ing massive. The number that he went over tonight, he’s made a lot of money in his career. Listen, you don’t fight and disappear for five years because you weren’t well-compensated. He makes a lot of money.”

What are your thoughts on Chael Sonnen’s claims? With Jon Jones using counter-negotiation tactics, do you think he will push the UFC boss way too far? Should he follow White’s direction, or keep pursuing his own path as a veteran champion? Share your thoughts below.