Jon Jones has been told his performance during UFC 309 fight week was a “genius move” that may have earned him tens of millions.
The legendary two-weight world champion viciously knocked out Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in November. But it was his performance outside the octagon during fight week that impressed Michael Bisping.
During the build-up, a large shadow hung over the match in the form of interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. The Brit showed up, but declined to play the role of Shannon Briggs. Instead, he opted to have fans sing for him, much to Jones' chagrin.
Jon Jones turned down Tom Aspinall's challenge until after UFC 309
In one of the biggest moments in the fight build-up, Aspinall's name was widely cheered at the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference. This led to Jon Jones telling the crowd to settle down, after insisting he wasn't 'dodging' the Manchester native.
He was generally dismissive of a potential fight with the Briton, who won and even defended the interim title in the time between Jones' title win and the first defense. But it now looks like the fight will happen, with Dana White calling it the biggest in heavyweight history.
Joe Rogan is now claiming that Jon Jones could make $30 million to take on Tom Aspinall
After his win, Jones claimed he wanted 'f*** you money', to the point where he would be seeded regardless of the result. This plays into stories of him being concerned about the outcome given Aspinall's significant size advantage.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
During a recent episode of his podcast with comedians Chris DiStefano and Yannis Papis, Joe Rogan said, “I think it's going to be Aspinall, I think they're trying to come to some kind of agreement. Rumor has it he wants $30 million and the UFC will pay it. Hopefully… I hope they pay it.”
Papis then claimed that the fight fans really wanted to see was Jones against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Rogan agreed to an extent, but also emphasized how big a fight with the interim title holder would be.
Michael Bisping praises Jon Jones on fight negotiations with Tom Aspinall
Despite his strange antics during fight week, including declining an interview with British broadcaster Adam Catterall about his friendship with Aspinall, Michael Bisping believes Jones played it perfectly. There is now a narrative that he is 'avoiding' the Manchester native and believes he may lose in the end.
Bisping told fans on his YouTube channel: “As we know, Jon Jones shied away from fighting Tom Aspinall in the lead-up to the Stipe fight, which was an absolute genius marketing move.
“It really drove up demand, making it the fight everyone wants to see. Well guess what? The man will most likely be paid well, so the rumor goes. The greatest fighter of all time.”
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