UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones has one condition to fight interim title holder Tom Aspinall– he wants “f–k you money”. Otherwise, ‘Bones’ has threatened to retire. The question arises, exactly how much is this colossal amount? Well, according to Joe Rogan, the answer is an eye-watering $30 million! Or so he has heard.

“I think it’s [Jon Jones’ next opponent is] going to be Aspinall. I think they’re trying to come to some sort of an agreement. The rumor is that he [Jones] wants $30 million,” Rogan told comedian Yannis Pappas on episode #2249 of the JRE podcast. Moreover, the UFC commentator is backing Jones, and ‘hopes’ the Dana White does pay Jones the biggest paycheck of his career. “The UFC is going to pay it, hopefully. I hope they pay [Jones that],” Rogan added.

Of course, Jones has also talked about a possible fight with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, and Pappas thinks that is the fight to make. “I agree with him, though. Him and Pereira would be the fight everyone wants to see,” the comedian said. But Joe Rogan was much more hesitant. “Perhaps,” the Texas resident added, seemingly unconvinced that Jones-Pereira ought to be next.

Of course, Dana White is well known for his stinginess, and it is unclear if he would indeed agree to pay Jones six times the champ’s highest salary so far. But then again, Rogan’s revelation raises a few questions that are worth taking a look at.

Will Dana White comply with Jones’ demands for the Tom Aspinall fight?

The first question that comes to mind about Jones’ $30 million demand is- ‘or what?’ Would Jones actually retire if the UFC doesn’t pay him the said amount? Or would he come back, tail tucked between his legs, and meekly ask for another opponent or agree to fight Aspinall for less money?

What is the breakdown of the $30 million? Does Jones want a flat $30 million purse and the PPV cut, or does that figure include his estimated PPV share? Is that $30 million divided into two parts- the shown money and the win bonus, or does Jones just want $30 million upfront, regardless of the result? We don’t know the answer to these questions and the devil is very much in the details here.

After all, one can conceive of an arrangement that would see Jones net $30 million including everything, and would be acceptable to the UFC. After all, Dana White has already predicted that Jones-Aspinall will be the biggest fight in the history of the promotion (and thus the sport).

If that is true, Jones may well pocket seven figures from his PPV cut alone, and the UFC could make a neat profit despite giving Jones $30 million total. It also makes perfect sense for the consensus MMA GOAT to ask for the astronomical amount as a negotiating tactic, and settle for maybe three-quarters or half of $30 million in the end.

Then there is the possibility that Rogan is just wrong and Jones hasn’t asked for such an amount. Well, what we do know is- Dana White has assured us that Jones-Aspinall would go down in 2025. The UFC CEO may be many things but he isn’t one to sell wolf tickets and make false promises to fans.

This is why it is safe to say that if the head honcho says that the fight is happening, it’s probably happening. What do you think about Joe Rogan saying that the UFC should pay Jones $30 million for an Aspinall fight?