Luke Rockhold has claimed that Jon Jones should be paid more than $20 million to face UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Back in 2019, Rockhold was on a quest to dethrone Jones as the light heavyweight champion. The former UFC middleweight champion said a lot of things to diminish Jones’ achievements and encourage a potential fight.
However, the dynamics of the duo’s career have shifted in the last two years. Perhaps this is why, in the midst of Jones’ continuing legal battle with the UFC Rockhold has expressed his honest opinion of him.
Rockhold recently claimed in an interview with Helen Yee that Jones deserved to be paid much more to fight the newly-crowned heavyweight champion.
According to the 35-year-old, boxing champions usually receive between $20 million and $30 million for each of their fights. He went on to say that Jones should be paid fairly, if not more, given that he has already done enough to win GOAT status in MMA.
Rockhold said, “Considering the UFC is the most popular sport in the world, versus what these guys in boxing are fighting bums for 20 million-plus. Where is that money going? Why is boxing able to pay so much with such little traction in audience?”
He continued, “The UFC, obviously they’re absorbing a lot of money, they’re not paying the fighters what they deserve. I think if anybody deserves it, Jon Jones deserves it. Pay the man. Especially with a fight like that. That’s a big f***ing fight. Pay the man and everybody gets their money’s worth, including the UFC.”
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