Jon Jones Claims 'Eight To Ten Million' Payday For Francis Ngannou Fight Would Be 'Way Too Low'

Mandatory Credit: Mike Roach - Zuffa LLC

Former two-time UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones certainly has a figure in mind for his expected heavyweight debut this summer, and if pitted with recently minted gold holder, Francis Ngannou -- he's claimed that a paycheck in the region of eight to ten million would be "way too low" for a bout of that importance. 

Involved in another public fallout with UFC president, Dana White over the course of this week following UFC 260 on Saturday, Jones took exception to White's tongue-in-cheek comment that if he were Jones sitting at home watching Ngannou dethrone Stipe Miocic, he would consider a move to the middleweight division. 

Jones questioned why White would decide to promote him in this manner, as well as flat out denying the suggestion that he was fearful of a matchup with the Cameroonian as White urged Jones to speak with promotional EVP and Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell if he was actually serious about a matchup against Ngannou.

In the days since UFC 260, Jones has been vocal on his official Twitter, for a limited time, however, tweeting and deleting numerous statements aimed at both White and the promotion.

In a bid to secure a sufficient paycheck to matchup with Ngannou, Jones claimed that it was obvious to see that White "hated" him as a result of his hope to secure fair compensation, before asking the UFC to allow him to take his business "elsewhere".

Posting a series of tweets this Wednesday afternoon, Jones explained how he had spoken with the above mentioned, Campbell about a possible clash against Ngannou -- expressing how a sum in the region of eight to ten million would be considerably wide of the mark needed for a matchup of that "magnitude".

"I had a brief phone meeting with UFC's lawyer Hunter (Campbell) a few days ago," Jones wrote. As of right now, I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to ten million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That's all that has been discussed so far."

In another tweet, Jones detailed how he's expecting the UFC to come back to him with an offer, however, he is "hoping" the numbers aren't low.

"I'm supposed to be waiting for what their offer is going to be," Jones wrote. "Really hoping the numbers are nowhere near that low. I guess we will see what happens."

According to the Jackson-Wink MMA staple, he can't even walk to his mailbox without being asked about a potential matchup with Ngannou -- with fans seemingly clamouring for the pairing of the two.

"One thing I'm sure of, I've never had more people excited to see a fight than they are now, I literally can't walk to my mailbox without someone asking me about the fight."

Reflecting on his early years under the promotion's banner, Jones claimed he was now just attempting to secure a "payday" for himself, in a constant battle fighters believe they can score someday.

"I've been working my ass off for years, concussions, surgeries, fighting the toughest competition (the) UFC had to offer throughout my 20s for right around two million per fight. I'm just trying to have my payday, the fight that all of us fighters believe is one day possible."

Again aiming a barb at White, Jones maintained that if a fellow UFC fighter like Conor McGregor tweeted "show me the money" like he did on Saturday night, "there would have been whiskey night". 

In another tweet, Jones claimed that he believes during his initial championship reign in his twenties he was "grossly underpaid" by the promotion. 

"I believe I was grossly underpaid throughout my entire 20s," Jones wrote. "I'm not even here bitching about that. I just want to see the future done right."