Daniel Cormier has given his take on the failed negotiations between Jon Jones and the UFC.
Jones wanted to transition to the heavyweight division for the right price. His target was Francis Ngannou, who also agreed that he wanted a big payday for such a bout. When Jones started talks with the UFC, he was informed that he wouldn’t get a bump in pay for the fight.
Cormier Chimes In On Jones’ Failed Negotiations With UFC
Cormier spoke to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. When asked about talks between Jones and the UFC breaking down, “DC” recalled how much Jones said he was making for their rematch (h/t BJPenn.com).
“I remember a time when Jon Jones and I were gonna fight and he was like ‘I got 10 million dollars!’, that’s what he kept saying,” Cormier said. “If you have 10 million dollars, and you get half of that in one fight, I think that’s good, if you made five million plus pay per view.”
Cormier then suggested that Jones should reveal the number he proposed to the UFC for a heavyweight move.
“Let’s say Jon Jones’ base pay is three million dollars, or say his base pay is five million dollars, then give him seven million dollars – that’s two million dollars [extra]! But like, what was the number? When you’re talking transparency, tell the number. If you’re being transparent, tell us the number that you threw out there.”
If anyone knows what being paid as a heavyweight truly looks like, it’s Cormier. “DC” is a former UFC heavyweight champion and has been in two heavyweight title bouts that headlined pay-per-views. He is set for his third, which will also be the last fight of his pro MMA career.
