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The Jon Jones and Dana White standoff which began a few months ago has apparently reached an impasse with neither side willing to reach a consensus, at least that is what a recent interview of Jon Jones made it sound like.
It all started with Jon Jones saying that he wanted to face Francis Ngannou in a super fight and hence wanted a new contract. However, he later revealed that the UFC was not interested in providing him a new one and that is where all the problems began.
Jon Jones in an interview with Steve-O on his podcast said that he was willing to sit out and wait for the UFC to offer him better pay. He said that he was going to sit out as he simply didn't have anything to lose.
Jon Jones added that he had no problem with the fans watching the UFC as he himself had just ordered a PPV. Jon Jones even expressed hope in the idea that the UFC would realize that he was a gifted athlete and they would come to a middle ground. (via MMA Fighting)
"I got nothing to lose being the position I’m in right now. No, I don’t want to fight soon. I have no interest in fighting in the UFC until I get paid what I believe I’m worth. A lot of fans will continue to watch the UFC and support the UFC and I have no problem with that. I just ordered the last pay-per-view myself. But I think it’s really powerful when you stand up for what you believe is right. I think that eventually the UFC will realize that they’re being stubborn. They’ll realize they do have a special athlete in myself. I think they’ll eventually meet me halfway.”
Jon Jones clarifies that he didn't ask for an outrageous amount
Jon Jones had been particularly criticized by Dana White for demanding outrageous pay, but just like last time, Jones refused to concede that point and said that he was not demanding something unreasonable. Jon Jones even added that he was taking the pandemic into consideration when addressing the amount he wanted.
“I’m not asking for anything outrageous. I know we’re in a pandemic and I know when you’re a multi-millionaire and you’re asking for more it makes you seem like this greedy person and all this type of things. I’m very aware of all this. But I’m also very aware that I have the voice and the platform to make change."
Jon Jones has made it clear that he wants better pay and to have fighters like Jorge Masvidal. The ball is now very clearly in Dana White's court, it is up to him to decide what happens next and how.
