UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has a lot to consider post-Tom Aspinall if the heavyweight unification bout crosses the finish line.
Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall are expected to clash in a UFC heavyweight title unification fight later this year, as UFC CEO Dana White has hinted that negotiations are nearing a positive conclusion. This after Aspinall had a ‘fantastic’ meeting with UFC CBO Hunter Campbell in London last weekend.
The holdup in finalizing the Jones vs. Aspinall fight seems to be on Jones’s end, according to Aspinall, but White and the UFC brass are working on solidifying the final details of the matchup. While nothing’s been announced in terms of a venue and location for Jones vs. Aspinall, the heavyweight fight could potentially headline the UFC’s International Fight Week pay-per-view in June.
Jones and Aspinall are both expected to make a nine-figure payout to clash later this year, assuming the booking comes to fruition. But Jones has another lucrative offer on the shelf for him to consider if he beats Aspinall and retains the lineal heavyweight championship.
PFL’s Donn Davis offers Jon Jones $50 million to fight Francis Ngannou
Before Jones won the then-vacant heavyweight belt over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, Francis Ngannou was the man to beat in the UFC heavyweight division. Ngannou and the UFC parted ways after a rocky contract dispute, and Ngannou went on to sign with the PFL to get more flexibility in pursuing his boxing ambitions.
Jones and Ngannou almost broke the internet when they came face-to-face at a PFL event in 2023. The matchup was close to coming to fruition in 2020 and 2021 before Ngannou’s split from the UFC.
Despite White’s hesitancy in cross-promoting, and Ngannou’s messy UFC divorce, the Jones vs. Ngannou fight could potentially become a reality once Jones’s UFC contract is up. If that’s the case, Jones could make more money than he’ll likely make for the Aspinall showdown inside the Octagon, according to the PFL headman.
In a recent post to X, PFL founder Donn Davis offered Jones more money than he’s reportedly asked for to fight Aspinall.
“I know one way [Jon Jones] earns $50m … [Francis Ngannou],” Davis said. “To decide the true MMA Heavyweight Champion and the real P4P #1.
“That would be THE fight of the decade for MMA fans!”
As of this writing, neither Jones nor Ngannou has responded to Davis’s $50 million fight offer. White and Davis have traded barbs from afar through the media in recent months, and White doesn’t have any interest in a cross-promotional venture.
Dana White is ‘closing in’ on securing Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall super fight
In the meantime, Jones vs. Aspinall is allegedly right around the corner, as White hinted in his recent ‘done, but not done’ remarks. According to White, there isn’t a major issue holding up a Jones vs. Aspinall announcement, hinting that they’re working on finalizing a date, venue, and location for the fight.
Tensions between Jones and Aspinall could boil over after Aspinall trolled Jones during the UFC London broadcast. Jones has repeatedly expressed his dislike of Aspinall in recent months, including his lead of an explicit anti-Aspinall chant at a Dirty Boxing Championship event.
If Jones gets past Aspinall, he could potentially opt to hang up the gloves and end his legendary UFC career. But don’t rule out the PFL and Davis potentially changing his mind with a stunning Ngannou fight offer.
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