Jon Jones is appreciative of fellow former UFC Heavyweight Champion’s support after falling out with the promotion over pay.
Jones said that he was in negotiations to return from his 2025 retirement for the Freedom 250 card on the White House in June. But then the cardboard was announced without him on it, and Dana White said that he was never being considered for the cardboard and was considered done in MMA.
That prompted Jones to refute what White had said, going further to say he was lowballed, what he would later describe as UFC refusing to go further than $15 million to fight Alex Pereira, and if he is really considered inactive then he would love to be released from his contract.
The problem of fighter pay has often been a prevalent one in the case of UFC, especially with the numbers being attached to its sister project Zuffa Boxing. And given Ngannou’s own disputes with the corporate while he was Heavyweight Champion, he had recently shown support for his contemporary. Something that Jones took some outing to understand on his Instagram Stories.
“I appreciate you advocating for me, Francis,” he wrote, responding to a video of Ngannou aligning with Jones in an interview with Ariel Helwani.
Ngannou had also said that he fearful if the UFC would treat their lauded “GOAT” that way, because it is indicative of what fighters on the lower rungs are being treated.
Reigning Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall has also offered support for Jones in agreeing that he needs to be getting paid properly.