Ariel Helwani offers to help Stipe Miocic negotiate fair pay with Dana White for Jon Jones fight 

Jon Jones' first heavyweight title defense seems to be against two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic as he called out the No.2-ranked heavyweight following his UFC 285 victory over Ciryl Gane. Mixed martial arts analyst Ariel Helwani recently offered to help 'The Silencer' in his negotiations with UFC President Dana White.

Speaking to the No.2-ranked heavyweight on The MMA Hour, the podcast host stated:

"They got to pay the piper though. What are we going to do here? Do you need me?... I don't think [agent] Lloyd [Pierson] would appreciate that. You have one of the best in the business by your side, but I'm just wondering if he needed backup. You guys can call me, I'll be on speaker phone, I'll tell those guys what's what. They need to pay you."

After Stipe Miocic joked that the journalist's presence in negotiations would make the promotional frontman happy, Helwani stated:

"Yeah, I think so, too. Listen, you don't want your management to be friends with Dana. That's the wrong move, right? You want some tension."

Check out Ariel Helwani's full comments below:

Ariel Helwani and Dana White have notably had several back-and-forth encounters. The bad blood between the two reportedly began after the mixed martial arts journalist broke the news that Brock Lesnar would return at UFC 200. Despite being one of the more well-known voices in mixed martial arts, Helwani was given a lifetime ban from receiving press credentials for UFC events.

He has since accused White of sabotaging his position at ESPN while also claiming that the UFC president had him escorted out of the room before entering. While Helwani is well-respected among fighters, it is safe to assume that he won't play a role in Miocic's negotiations for the rumored bout with Jon Jones.

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Jon Jones' first heavyweight title defense: 'Bones' warns Stipe Miocic

Jon Jones' first heavyweight title defense will reportedly headline UFC 290 during International Fight Week. Following UFC 285, 'Bones' warned his rumored opponent, Stipe Miocic, that he should take time away from his role as a firefighter to train for the bout:

"Stipe, I would take time off from being a firefighter right now, and I mean that with all due respect. My whole world is going to be focused on him. This is the biggest opportunity in my life - to beat the heavyweight GOAT... I'm going to not only beat Stipe Miocic, I'm going to finish Stipe Miocic before the championship rounds."

Check out Jon Jones' warning to Stipe Miocic below:

Jones added that while his potential opponent is focused on being heavier, weightlifting will not determine the outcome of the bout. 'Bones' became the 18th undisputed heavyweight champion in UFC history and just the eighth fighter to become champion in two weight classes with his first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.