Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson Would End Retirement to Fight Jon Jones...for a Price

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is willing to give the UFC's anemic light heavyweight division a much-needed boost...but not for free. The former light heavyweight contender spoke with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani on Monday to discuss life after retirement and named his terms for ending it.

"I'm kind of on the fence," Johnson said of The MMA Hour podcast on the idea of a comeback (h/t MMA Fighting's Peter Carroll). "It would have to be worth it for me financially because I have so much going on already. If I did come back, it would just be to fight the legend Jon Jones."

Rumble announced his sudden retirement from the sport immediately after his loss to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in April. While the move made sense on some levels—it was Johnson's second loss to the champion—it left a huge void in the UFC's light heavyweight division. The successful return of Jon Jones at UFC 214 Saturday, however, could allow Johnson to return to a title shot in early 2018.

Jones vs. Johnson has been an intriguing fight for years now. The two were set to face off at UFC 187 in 2015, but Jones' infamous hit-and-run incident saw him pulled from the card and replaced with Cormier. Still, the matchup remains an intriguing one and would be a fun way to start Jones' second reign as champion.

That said, the novelty of holding a UFC title isn't enough to lure Johnson back. "Just be real with me and give me what I'm worth," he said later in the interview. "I know that we are going to pull in crazy numbers if we do this, so pay us what we're worth."

At this time, it seems like the UFC and Jones are both angling for a superfight with former UFC heavyweight champion (and current WWE Universal champion) Brock Lesnar. There are many hurdles standing in the way of that contest, however, and if it falls through? We may finally see Jones vs. Rumble.