"The UFC ripped me off during the early stages of my career" - Jon Jones
Jon Jones' recent fallout with the UFC has gotten many people talking about whether the promotion actually treats its fighters accordingly.
Jones had recently lashed out on the UFC and frontman Dana White for rejecting the proposal of a pay raise that would see the former move up to heavyweight to take on knockout artist Francis Ngannou in a clash of epic proportions. Jones even took to Twitter to announce that he's decided to vacate his title and is contemplating a move away from the UFC.
The UFC light heavyweight champion now states that the promotion has ripped him off in his youth by underpaying him throughout his career, and demands better treatment from his future employers moving forward. On Monday, Jones took to Twitter to unleash an emotionally charged rant about how the UFC has mistreated him and robbed him during his formative years with the promotion.
"Bones" claimed that he was grossly underpaid throughout his career despite earning the promotion millions of dollars of profits by stepping inside the Octagon and putting his health and well being on the line. Jones also intends his story to serve as an example for the young fighters of how promotions might get the better of them during the growing stages of their career.
“Do you not listen to Dana? Almost every interview he mentions how the UFC are breaking new records and are at an all-time high. Dana mentioned I want [Deontay] Wilder money, meanwhile over the entirety of my career I haven’t even made a quarter of that. When I was in my prime, the UFC‘s way of not paying me was telling me I wasn’t a star. Had me grateful for a new car meanwhile making tens of millions without my knowing. Impressed a young kid with a Bentley to fight Lyoto Machida while they collected millions."
Jones also asked the fighters coming up the ranks to know their worth and not be ashamed to ask to get paid accordingly, stressing on the fact that as much as the UFC helps fighters build their brand value, the fighters help the promotion increase theirs.
“I’m not even asking for backpay for ripping me off throughout my entire 20s. Just wanted to be treated fair moving forward.Advice while you Young fighters, if you’re hot right now. Get paid. As much as the UFC is building your brand, you are building their’s. If you think your biggest paydays will come after being with the company for a while. You are wrong. I fought mega fight after mega fight throughout my early 20s for under 2million a fight. Who knows what I’m actually owed, makes me feel like a fool even thinking about it.”