Jon Jones claims he was in a similar situation with the UFC as Francis Ngannou, but took a different call
At UFC 285, Jon Jones will return to the octagon to face Ciryl Gane, much to the delight of fight fans worldwide. Since his last fight, Jones has been embroiled in his own contract dispute with the UFC, with Dana White claiming he demanded $30 million to face Francis Ngannou. 'Bones' has repeatedly denied White's claims.
In 2021, Jon Jones hired Richard Schaefer, a veteran boxing promoter, to drive his contract negotiations with the UFC. Jones' new UFC contract, negotiated by Schaefer, reportedly makes him the second-highest-paid fighter in the organization, behind only Conor McGregor.
Jon Jones manager Richard Schaefer on #TheMMAHour says Jones' new deal for UFC 285 makes him the highest paid UFC heavyweight ever and the second-highest paid UFC fighter ever behind Conor McGregor.
On the flip side, Francis Ngannou failed to come to terms with the UFC in his contract negotiation battle with the world's premier MMA organization. Ngannou subsequently got his contract terminated and the heavyweight title stripped, while the UFC brass has claimed that 'The Predator' intends to seek out 'easier competitive alternatives' outside of the organization.
Jon Jones could not help but feel empathy for Francis Ngannou, who embarked on this battle with unwavering resolve. Jones voiced his admiration for Ngannou in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, despite the fact that he would have enjoyed the possibility of competing against him:
“I’m glad that Francis knows his worth. No man has a right to shame another man for fighting for his worth. I was in a very similar situation to Francis as a light heavyweight. I was never happy with my salary. I had to sit out for three years, and I missed a lot of time, but now we’re here. I encourage Francis on his journey, and I wish him all the best. Another company is going to be truly blessed to have him."
Despite Ngannou's departure from the UFC, Jon Jones remains confident that they will cross paths and fans will get to witness the blockbuster clash:
“And I do believe my path will cross with Francis. Dana White always gives the fans what they want to see, and a Jon Jones-Francis Ngannou fight will always be a fight of interest. So I’m not counting it out. I’ll keep an eye on Francis.”
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Jon Jones believes God chose him to remain undefeated
Jon Jones has a near-perfect record as a professional mixed martial artist, with the exception of a disqualification loss against Matt Hamill (one No Contest overturned by the CSAC in a rematch against Daniel Cormier).
On March 4 at UFC 285, Jon Jones will finally return to the octagon after a three-long year hiatus to challenge Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight crown.
Remaining an undefeated fighter in a sport where the possibility of losing is endless is a rare and spectacular feat. The way Jones sees it, he was "chosen" by God to remain undefeated. Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Underground, Jones said:
“I really believe in my whole heart that I was chosen by God Himself to be an undefeated fighter. I really believe that with my whole spirit and my whole being. So not only do you have to beat me, but you have to beat the God I serve. I don’t believe that I was designed to lose. I may have close fights, but I truly don’t believe it’s possible for me to lose.”
Catch the full interview below: