UFC: Jon Jones calls Dana White ‘stubborn and greedy’; advises ‘hot’ prospects to ‘get paid’

The light heavyweight champion said last negotiations to fight Ngannou at heavyweight was ‘nothing but red flags’

‘Bones’ says the UFC is exploiting its fighters in expletive-filled tweets

4-MIN READ4-MIN

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones front kicks former double champion Daniel Cormier in their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 182 in Las Vegas in 2015. Photo: AP

Published: 3:55pm, 9 Jun 2020Updated: 3:58pm, 9 Jun 2020

Jon Jones has gone on a Twitter rampage addressing UFC president Dana White’s latest comments justifying his fighters’ pay.

The light heavyweight champion Jones (26-1, one no contest) – widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, including by White– said earlier this month that he would be relinquishing his title after negotiations for a heavyweight “super fight” against Francis Ngannou broke down. White had accused Jones of asking for “Deontay Wilder” money, referencing the boxer’s payday in fights against Tyson Fury.

Fighters such as “BMF” winner Jorge Masvidal and former two-weight champions Henry Cejudo and Conor McGregor have since threatened to leave the promotion or announced their retirement from the sport. On Monday, Masvidal likened White’s dealings to a “communist regime”.

“Everything was good until I asked for a piece of the pie,” said the 32-year-old Jones, who last fought in a unanimous decision title defence against Dominick Reyes in February. “UFC totally comfortable with me taking concussions for over a decade but asking for generational wealth. Get the f*** out of here.”

Responding to a user questioning whether it was the “best time” to negotiate contracts during an ongoing global pandemic, Jones retorted, “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 Wilder money, meanwhile over the entirety of my career I haven’t even made a quarter of that.”