After Francis Ngannou’s exit from the UFC, Jon Jones will fight Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship at UFC 285. The 35-year-old is definitely raring to make his return to the Octagon after spending 3 years in the gym to build up his physique for the heavyweight debut. He will finally do so on March 4, inside the T-Mobile Arena.
Not only is Jon on the verge of making history by winning the heavyweight championship on his debut, but Jones is also about to break new ground in terms of financial opportunities. By now, fans know that Jones was beefing with the company regarding his pay as well! It was not only Francis Ngannou, Jon also thought his compensation was unfair.
I never discussed wanting 30 million with you or Hunter @danawhite just wondering where you heard that number? Is someone speaking with you on my behalf or…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 23, 2021
In 2021, Jonny Bones got into a public dispute with UFC President Dana White regarding his fight purse. After beating Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, Jones relinquished his light heavyweight title and wanted to fight at heavyweight. While their very public contract dispute, Dana claimed that Jones apparently wanted $30 million to fight! But Jon came out with a statement on Twitter to deny it.
Shortly afterward, Jones hired renowned boxing personality, Richard Schaefer. Schaefer, famous for his stint with Golden Boy boxing promotion, took up the responsibility of negotiating on behalf of Jones. It looks like the move worked, as Bones is about to be the second-best-paid fighter in the UFC behind Conor McGregor. It means Jon will now be the best-paid heavyweight fighter in the promotion ever!
How much will Jon Jones earn at UFC 285?
After the news broke that Jon will fight for the heavyweight championship at UFC 285, Richard Schaefer appeared on The MMA Hour. He very much confirmed that Jon is about to get a big pay rise for his return.
Schaefer said, “I think as Hunter mentioned to me, probably the second highest ever next to Conor McGregor. So it was a long negotiation but it was not a hostile negotiation. It wasn’t where both sides dug their heels in. I think both sides wanted to find a way. We found a way and here it is.” (h/t via Yahoo! Sports)
So it means that Jones will earn more than the $2.5 million that Brock Lesnar earned for his fight against Mark Hunt at UFC 200. But, there is much more to this story.
If it is indeed true that Jon is the second-highest earner behind Conor McGregor, it puts him way above the likes of Israel Adesanya, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, and Jorge Masvidal.
Although reports add that Israel Adesanya earned an estimated $1 million for his UFC 281 fight against Alex Pereira, that may not reveal the entire story. According to former UFC double champ Daniel Cormier, Izzy earned much more than that.
During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Cormier revealed that Adesanya earns somewhere between $5-7 million for his fights. McGregor, on the other hand, apparently earns $15-20 million per fight. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was the second-highest earner in UFC at the time, was earning $10 million per fight.
So it would mean that Jon is going to earn a figure between $10-20 million! Dana White revealed that Jon had signed an 8-fight deal with the company. Although his salary figures are not public, it appears Jones will be earning more than ever!
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 4, 2023
What are your thoughts on Jon Jones becoming the second-highest-paid fighter in UFC history? Let us know in the comments down below.