Jon Jones is "now the highest-paid heavyweight" in UFC history, claims manager
Jon Jones is set to make his highly anticipated return to the octagon in March. The former light heavyweight champion will go head-to-head against No.1-ranked heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.
Dana White announced the title fight at the UFC Vegas 67 post-fight presser, with the revelation accompanied by news of 'Bones' signing a new eight-fight deal with the UFC. The deal means that fans will likely see Jones compete in the promotion for the next few years at least.
Jon Jones has signed a new 8-fight deal with the UFC ahead of his upcoming heavyweight title bout at UFC 285, Dana White announced on Saturday. https://t.co/pAmYsq3LpF
Furthermore, according to Jones' manager Richard Schaefer, the new multi-fight deal has made Jon Jones the second highest-paid fighter in the UFC after Conor McGregor and the highest-paid heavyweight of all time.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Schaefer claimed:
"I think UFC realizes that Jon Jones is the G.O.A.T... So they were very open to working with us and come to the conclusion of putting together a fair deal... The deal we made for Jon makes Jon, in the history of the UFC, the highest-paid heavyweight athlete. And overall, I think... Probably the second-highest ever, next to Conor McGregor."
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Daniel Cormier claims Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane is a better matchup for the fans
Jon Jones is set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon against Ciryl Gane on March 5 in a title fight that will also mark his debut as a heavyweight fighter.
Francis Ngannou vacated the belt after the UFC failed to meet his terms for a contract renewal, leading to his departure. This left many fans disappointed as a Jones vs. Ngannou title fight would've been a hugely hyped affair.
However, Daniel Cormier has a slightly different opinion. He recently claimed that Jones facing Gane is a better fight for the fans owing to the high-level skills of the two title-challenging heavyweights.
Speaking in a YouTube video, Cormier opined that Gane will not be an easy opponent for Jones. Analyzing their matchup, he said:
"I believe that what he [Jon Jones] has now is maybe a more difficult style matchup in Ciryl Gane... Ciryl Gane is as good as they come. I honestly believe this matchup is a better matchup for us as fans because technically you have two guys that are going to be as skilled as we have ever seen in the heavyweight division."
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