'Really hope we can come up with a good financial agreement' - Jon Jones gives update on his UFC negotiations
Jon Jones has announced that he still has not developed an agreement with the UFC to perform in the promotion again.
Jon Jones' last appearance in the UFC was in February 2020, when he defended his light heavyweight belt against Dominick Reyes with a unanimous decision win. In August, Jon Jones revealed that he would be vacating the title to compete as a heavyweight.
Since then, the UFC and Jon Jones have been moving back and forth due to a financial disagreement on the fighter's new contract. The longest-reigning light heavyweight champion in UFC history has declared on Twitter that he would like to perform in the promotion again:
"[I have] been seeing lots of different things in the media lately. I would absolutely love to fight for the UFC again. [I] really hope we can come up with a good financial agreement and give the fans a few more great fights," wrote Jon Jones on his Twitter account.
Although Jon Jones suggested that he and the UFC still have not reached a deal, UFC president Dana White has stated that the former light heavyweight champion will be making his heavyweight debut in summer 2021.
"I think he's ready as soon as he sees what happens with the heavyweight championship. I think he would come in right now and fight for it," White told BT Sport's Adam Catterall.
What has Dana White said about Jon Jones' new contract?
Speaking to TMZ Sports in July 2020, when discussions over Jon Jones' new contract were still fresh, UFC president Dana White declared that the decision to accept the deal or not was in the fighter's hands.
White said about Jon Jones' return at the time:
"I hope so, but that's up to him. If he decides to never fight again, that's up to him. Jon Jones didn't retire. We know where Jon Jones is at," said White.
"Listen, at the end of the day, he has enough money to retire. He can retire. The whole Jon Jones thing has been a rollercoaster ride for many, many years. Nothing surprises me with Jon Jones. We've offered him to come out and walk him through the numbers, and Jon Jones was like, "I don't give a f*ck what the numbers are, I don't care. This is what I want, and that's that,'" White added.