Jon Jones Rips Dana White's 'Lies' About Francis Ngannou Fight Wage Demands

Adam Wells @adamwells1985Featured ColumnistMay 29, 2020

FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2019, file photo, Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones attends a news conference for the UFC 235 mixed martial arts event in Las Vegas. Jones will be allowed to fight at UFC 235 on Saturday despite two recent drug tests showing traces of a steroid metabolite, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, The commission affirmed its belief that the tests do not reflect new drug use and believes the two positive tests conducted Feb. 14 and 15 uncovered residual results from the drug intake that resulted in a 15-month suspension for Jones in 2017. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

John Locher/Associated Press

Jon Jones is pushing back against comments UFC President Dana White made about the light heavyweight champion's demands to fight Francis Ngannou.

In a thread posted on Twitter, Jones called White's claims "lies" and asked for his release "if my reputation causes you to undervalue me this much" (warning: contains NFSW language):

Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
Don’t be a fucking liar, my reputation has already taking enough hits. I don’t need this bullshit Dana. I never asked for Diante Wilder‘s numbers. And how about since Diante is making 30 million, we settle for half of that. Since you said I’m the goat and everything.

Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
I don’t even make half of half of what Diante Wilder makes. If my reputation causes you to undervalue me this much. Just go ahead and release me from my @Ufc contract altogether. I’m sure some promoter somewhere will be more than happy to pick me up.

Jon Bones Jones @JonnyBones
Do I make 5+ per fight yes. Should I stick to that number for my super fights? No. If you don’t agree with me you just don’t know business. I certainly didn’t ask for 30, never even threw out a number.

White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto on Thursday that Jones was asking for an "absurd amount of money" to move up to heavyweight for a showdown with Ngannou.

Jones responded at the time, writing on Twitter that White was lying on camera because the two sides "never discussed any increase in pay" and that he "never made a number offer."

On Friday's episode of Get Up, White noted Jones has been told if he wants to move up to heavyweight "absolutely we would make a new deal with you to move up to heavyweight."

As Jones has gone through all of his challengers at light heavyweight, there have been rumblings about him testing the waters at heavyweight. He tweeted earlier this month that he has "absolutely nothing else to prove as a light heavyweight" and "would love" a big money fight against a top heavyweight.

Ngannou is one of the top heavyweights in UFC with a 15-3 career record. All of his wins have come by TKO or submission, including four straight first-round TKOs since November 2018.

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Jones is unbeaten in his last 18 fights and has successfully defended the UFC light heavyweight title three times since winning it for the second time in December 2018.