"Jon Jones got to fight me if he wants to make some super money" - When Mike Tyson publicly addressed the UFC pay dispute
Jon Jones and the UFC have been squabbling over the former's fight purse lately. 'Bones' has continually resorted to Twitter to air his grievances regarding his pay dispute with the UFC. The 33-year-old, without any pretense, has said he will be willing to fight Francis Ngannou only if the promotion "shows him the money".
This is not the first time Jones has expressed his displeasure with the money the UFC has offered him. In May last year, he raised similar concerns and hinted at the UFC's reluctance to pay him more. And that was when Mike Tyson chimed in to support the former light heavyweight kingpin.
Tyson reflected on UFC's inability to pay their fighters handsomely. The 53-year-old said even though the UFC is more popular than boxing, the promotion would still not be able to match boxing financially:
"Listen to this, UFC is more popular than boxing, right? Higher ratings, right? But a UFC fighter will never be richer than a first-class fighter," Tyson told Charlie Mack.
The legendary boxer then suggested the only way Jon Jones could earn a hefty sum of money from fighting is if 'Bones' decides to fight him in a boxing match:
"To make a $100 million, Conor (McGregor) had to fight Floyd (Mayweather). Jon Jones got to fight me if he wants to make some super money," Tyson added.
Apart from Jon Jones, which other UFC superstar had issues with his fight purse?
Jon Jones is not the only UFC fighter to publicly raise an issue about his payday. A nother example is Jorge Masvidal, who insisted the UFC should "let him go".
In June 2020, Masvidal's contract negotiations fell through for his potential fight against Kamaru Usman. Both welterweights were expected to challenge each other in a title clash, but the fight fell apart due to failure of agreement. Post which, Gilbert Burns ended up being the prime contender to take on Usman. (Masvidal, however, did fight Usman on a one-week notice after Burns tested positive for COVID-19):
"I’m not an independent contractor if I can’t go anywhere else to make a living. Let me go and let me see if I’m worth it," Masvidal wrote on Twitter.
It appears as though Masvidal is no longer discontent with the UFC regarding his fight purse. 'Gamebred' is set to fight Usman in a rematch at UFC 261, which will take place on April 24, 2021.
Check Out: How Much Does Mike Tyson Earn?