Jon Jones

Joe Rogan Retracts Claim Of Jon Jones’ Pay Demand For Tom Aspinall Fight: ‘Dana Contacted Me…’

Joe Rogan is backpedaling on his recent assertion regarding Jon Jones’ potential title fight against Tom Aspinall. Interim UFC Heavyweight champion Aspinall has been relentlessly campaigning for a title unification showdown with Jones for over a year now. However, “Bones” has repeatedly brushed off the challenge, though he hasn’t entirely shut the door — hinting […]

Joe Rogan is backpedaling on his recent assertion regarding Jon Jones’ potential title fight against Tom Aspinall.

Interim UFC Heavyweight champion Aspinall has been relentlessly campaigning for a title unification showdown with Jones for over a year now. However, “Bones” has repeatedly brushed off the challenge, though he hasn’t entirely shut the door — hinting that he’d consider stepping into the Octagon if the UFC presents him with the most lucrative payday of his career.

Interestingly, Rogan claimed on his podcast that he had heard whispers of the reigning UFC Heavyweight champion demanding a staggering $30 million to face Aspinall. He even expressed optimism that the UFC might meet the hefty price tag to make the highly anticipated clash a reality.

However, during a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, the seasoned UFC commentator shared that he received a call from UFC CEO Dana White, who refuted his earlier statements. Rogan admitted the particular episode was recorded roughly two weeks ago and confessed he couldn’t recall the source who mentioned Jones’ rumored $30 million demand.

“We were talking about Jon Jones and I had heard a rumor that Jon Jones wanted $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall,” Rogan said. “And I did hear that rumor and I did hear that the UFC said yes. But it is not true, Dana contacted me and said that rumor is bullsh*t. So I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor. I don’t even remember because we did that podcast two weeks ago, I don’t remember who told me that.”

“Bones” was last seen in action at UFC 309 in November 2024, where he secured a dominant third-round knockout win over former champion Stipe Miocic in his first heavyweight title defense.

Meanwhile, Aspinall has held the interim heavyweight title since knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023. He further solidified his reign with another knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024.

Read More: Islam Makhachev’s Manager On P4P Debate: Jon Jones ‘Can’t Beat Gane, Stipe & Be In The Top 5’

Islam Makhachev’s Manager On P4P Debate: Jon Jones ‘Can’t Beat Gane, Stipe & Be In The Top 5’

The manager of UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev has a firm take on Jon Jones’ pound-for-pound worthiness. Debates over the P4P rankings don’t appear to have been left in 2024, with the discussion over who deserves top spot continuing to rage on into the new year. The conversation picked up when Dana White rejected the […]

The manager of UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev has a firm take on Jon Jones’ pound-for-pound worthiness.

Debates over the P4P rankings don’t appear to have been left in 2024, with the discussion over who deserves top spot continuing to rage on into the new year.

The conversation picked up when Dana White rejected the official order, which has Makhachev on the throne. For the UFC CEO, the obvious pick is Jones, who returned from a lengthy layoff to achieve two-division glory up at heavyweight in 2023.

That stance has received plenty of pushback, largely down to the Rochester native’s inactivity and avoidance of interim champ Tom Aspinall in order to face Stipe Miocic last November.

Among those unsurprisingly backing the Dagestani’s claim is his manager. And more than just putting Jones below Makhachev, Ali Abdelaziz doesn’t even see a case for the heavyweight king holding a spot inside the top five.

“Listen, Dana all the time says Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound best. I think Dana’s wrong,” Abdelaziz told Kevin Iole. “Islam finished nine of his last 11 opponents. He beat the No. 1 P4P, the No. 3 P4P guy; he beat everyone who is really good in their prime.

“In (Jones’) time, he was the P4P (best). If you say all-time, he might be the greatest (of) all-time,” Abdelaziz continued. “But right now, I don’t think (Jones) is top five. You can’t beat Ciryl Gane and beat Stipe and be in the top five. … Islam right now is the best.”

Makhachev will soon have the time to further cement his grip on the title of P4P king, with the Dagestani set to defend his lightweight belt against a previous opponent in Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of next weekend’s UFC 311 pay-per-view.

Jones, meanwhile, has uncertainty surrounding his career. While White ‘guaranteed’ that any return to action would come against Aspinall in 2025, it remains to be seen whether “Bones” and the promotion will agree on terms for the unification clash to come to fruition.

‘Jon Jones Is Smart in His Approach’ – Daniel Cormier on Jones’ UFC Leverage in Tom Aspinall Fight

Daniel Cormier can’t see the UFC paying Jon Jones $30 million for a fight with Tom Aspinall, but if…

Daniel Cormier can’t see the UFC paying Jon Jones $30 million for a fight with Tom Aspinall, but if fans want it bad enough, Dana White will deliver.

After leaving the door open for a showdown with the interim titleholder in November, Jones’ reported asking price for the quote-unquote biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history is a steep one.

And while some, like longtime color commentator Joe Rogan, think the promotion will ultimately give the GOAT what he’s asking for, others, like former champ-champ Daniel Cormier, think the UFC will be successful in booking the bout, though not to the tune of $30 million.

“I ain’t doing it, so then it made people go, ‘I want this, I want this.’ And when you want something, especially you, the family, because you drive everything, when you want something bad, the UFC tends to make it happen,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Will it make it happen to the tune of $30 million? I don’t know. I wouldn’t say that it would happen, but what I do know is that they will be far more willing to have the conversation.

“So, for all the time that everybody has said how horrible Jones is, and he’s stupid, he’s an idiot, me being at the lead of this, very smart in the way that he’s approached this. Especially if he wins—imagine if he wins.”

Jon Jones beating Aspinall would be bad for the UFC

So what happens if Jon Jones does defeat Tom Aspinall? Chances are, he would either stick around long enough to cash in on another big-money fight, like a showdown with light heavyweight king Alex Pereira, or he would simply walk away from the fight game with his gold and his GOAT status secured.

To Cormier, that would be the worst-case scenario.

“They’ve got to get him in there with Aspinall. And you’ve got to hope that Aspinall wins if you want the heavyweight title to continue being what the heavyweight title has been,” Cormier said. “Because if he doesn’t, and Jones goes, ‘I’m walking away as the greatest of all time, as the reigning heavyweight champion,’ it leaves a gap that’s hard to fill.”

‘Joe Rogan Thinks UFC Will Pay It’: Daniel Cormier Weighs in on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Request

If the UFC wants to book a title unification clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, they’re gonna have…

If the UFC wants to book a title unification clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, they’re gonna have to pony up some serious dough.

Following his third-round stoppage of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, ‘Bones’ left the door open for a long-awaited showdown with Aspinall to unify their respective heavyweight titles. But just because Jones is willing to take the fight, doesn’t mean he’s going to do it for cheap.

According to popular podcaster and long-time UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, the undisputed heavyweight champions’s asking price is a whopping $30 million. That might sound like a lot, but let’s not forget that ‘Bones’ is without a doubt the greatest mixed martial artist in the history of the sport, regardless of your opinion on his antics outside the cage.

Add that to the fact that Jones vs. Aspinall would be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history, and you’ve got an opportunity for both fighters to cash in big. Especially Jones.

However, not everyone is convinced that Dana White and Co will fork over that kind of cash for anyone not named Conor McGregor.

“Rogan thinks that the UFC is gonna pay it,” Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel. Rogan thinks that the UFC will pay the $30 million to get Jon Jones in there with Tom Aspinall. I’m not sure he gets to 30, but if you ask for 30 and you get 20 or you get 15, that’s a win for Jon Jones.”

Cormier thinks the UFC needs tom Aspinall to beat jon jones

DC’ also stressed the importance of not only getting Jon Jones inside the Octagon with Aspinall, but the Brit coming out on top in their potential clash. If not, ‘Bones’ could potentially walk away from the fight game with gold still strapped around his waist, leaving the promotion in a precarious position.

“Jones leaves, and you can do whatever you want,” Cormier said. “We could go Aspinall versus [Alex] Pereira, Aspinall versus this guy, or that guy. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because, even though Francis Ngannou isn’t the name that Jon Jones is, people were saying when Jones became champ, “Well, he didn’t beat Francis,” right? There was a break in the heavyweight championship timeline. If you want to say it like that, we can make massive fights, but it will never overcome the idea that Jon Jones left as the champ. And then that would happen two times back to back. So it’d be a massive mistake.

“They’ve got to get him in there with Aspinall. And you’ve got to hope that Aspinall wins if you want the heavyweight title to continue being what the heavyweight title has been. Because if he doesn’t, and Jones goes, ‘I’m walking away as the greatest of all time, as the reigning heavyweight champion,” it leaves a gap that’s hard to fill.’”

Daniel Cormier on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Ask: ‘Nowhere Near What We Were Paid’

Jon Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. Bones’ has reportedly asked for $30…

Jon Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. Bones’ has reportedly asked for $30 million to face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. However, former UFC champion Daniel Cormier has experience in high-profile title fights and is skeptical of Jon Jones’ demands.

Daniel Cormier Talks UFC Pay

Olympian Daniel Cormier, a two-division champion, reflected on his own paydays in a podcast episode, stating that the $30 million Jones is asking for is “nowhere near” what he and other fighters in his era were earning.

“He wants $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall? I’ll tell you guys right now, as a person that has been involved in big fights, a person that has sold pay-per-views, a person that, at his time, was at the top of the pay scale in the UFC as the heavyweight and light heavyweight champion—$30 million was literally a world away from anything we were making,” Cormier said.

“I remember when I got paid in New York, I got like a big bump to take a fight on three weeks’ notice, which ultimately became my salary, and people were astounded with the number. But I will tell you, it was a fraction of what that number he’s asking for is. It was nowhere near that.”

While Cormier acknowledges that Jones’ asking price may be inflated, he also notes that a significant payday in the range of $15 to $20 million would still be a major win for the heavyweight champion.

Jon Jones, who made a successful move to the heavyweight division in 2023, capturing the UFC Heavyweight Championship, has continued to dominate in the division. After defending his title against Stipe Miocic in November 2024, Jon Jones expressed interest in facing Tom Aspinall but indicated that a substantial financial incentive would be needed to secure the bout.

As negotiations continue, UFC CEO Dana White remains optimistic that the fight could happen. Jon Jones’ tactic of holding out for a large payday has garnered praise from some, including former fighter Michael Bisping, who believes it has increased the demand for the fight. However, whether or not Jones will secure the $30 million he is asking for remains uncertain.

Cain Velásquez Highlights Clear Weakness Jon Jones Can Exploit Against Tom Aspinall

Cain Velásquez will always be known as one of the best heavyweights that we have ever seen in MMA. Whilst injuries may have held him back at points, the former two-time UFC champion is one of the most well-rounded competitors in the history of his weight class. At the top of the sport right now, […]

At the top of the sport right now, a UFC heavyweight title fight might be the most desired contest that is out there with fans and fellow fighters still clamouring for Jon Jones to face Tom Aspinall in a unification clash. In one corner, you have the consensus greatest of all time whilst in the other, you’ve got the man that many believe is the best fighter in his weight class right now.

One of the biggest talking points surrounding this fight has been whether the Brit has the experience to beat someone like Jones who has been at the highest level for an incredible amount of time. Velásquez, however, believes that it is Aspinall’s predictability that would cost him in this potential matchup.

The interim champion is known for finishing opponents quickly with his lighting fast speed and one-punch power which makes it so difficult for opponents to deal with his timing. Velásquez recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show where he said that whilst Aspinall is incredibly effective at what he does, he believes that it is easy to predict meaning someone like Jones will be able to counter this inside the Octagon.

“I don’t think he [beats Jones],” Velasquez said of Aspinall. “Me just watching him, I kind of see his pattern a little bit, and his striking — the way he comes in and strikes. I think Jon sees it too. I think with that, just because, again, Jon, he studies, man. He does his homework. He’s a master at this. He analyzes things. He studies you over and over again. I think just for that reason, he’s going to know what to do. So I don’t think [Aspinall] beats Jon.

“Everybody has a pattern, right? There’s a fight pattern,” Velasquez continued. “Some people disguise it better than others. The simple fact is the way Tom comes in and fights, he does have a pattern that’s somewhat easier to find. He comes in and strikes. And I think you know what we’re talking about — a lot of things come with that. It’s disguising your pattern. It’s throwing fakes here and there before. But when he comes in to attack, he comes in and attacks. It’s 100% full go. He comes in, glides in, lunges in and does his attack. Again, not that it’s not effective — it is. He’s done great things with it. But I think with the type of guy that Jon Jones is, I think he studies him, and he beats him because of that.”