LAS VEGAS – Dana White is not backing down from his claims.
After Friday’s UFC on ESPN 9 weigh-ins and faceoffs in Las Vegas, the UFC president refuted recent accusations made by light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Jones, who’s considered one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, said White’s comments claiming he wanted an big pay raise for a potential heavyweight bout with Francis Ngannou were simply not true and that figures were never talked about. White said otherwise.
“It’s fun working out in the gym in the morning seeing tweets from Jon Jones saying I’m lying,” White told MMA Junkie. “We have text messages from Jon Jones. It’s not like I can’t prove what I’m saying is true. We have text messages from him – but I’m not going to do that. I’m not going to put his text messages out in the press. I could do that. If Jon Jones wants to sit down and take a lie detector test about who’s lying and who’s not, we can do that, too. I don’t want to go there with this guy. The guy’s made a lot of money – made a lot of money. If you look at Jon Jones’ track record, show me somebody that has the track record this guy has and has made the money Jon Jones has made. It doesn’t happen.
“It’s not like I’m out here on some ‘Smash Jon Jones’ crusade. I like Jon. I’m the one saying there is no debate. There’s no argument: He’s the G.O.A.T. No matter what you think of his last two fights, the three people that matter said he won the fight. The guy’s gone undefeated. He’s fought everybody. He’s fought all the best in the world despite what he’s been doing to himself outside of the octagon – going through legal battles, drugs and alcohol. All the things that have gone on with Jon Jones, he is still the world champion. I don’t know what else to say about it.”
According to White, Jones wanted what former boxing heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder earned for his blockbuster rematch with Tyson Fury in February. Most reports said Wilder
made $25-30 million.
“I’ll quote him and what he had said to my lawyer. He told my lawyer he wants what Deontay Wilder was paid (for his most recent fight),” White said. “I think it was $30 million, was what Deontay Wilder was paid.”
Jones most recently fought in the main event of UFC 247 in February. He outpointed Dominick Reyes in a close decision to once again defend his light heavyweight belt. His disclosed purse was $500,000, not counting pay-per-view points and other bonuses worked into his contract.
Jones has expressed willingness to move up to heavyweight only if the UFC pays him more money than he’s currently contracted for.
