The UFC heavyweight division has become the stage for the sport’s most expensive game of chicken, as Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall circle each other with the promise of a $12 million mega-fight – the biggest guaranteed check in UFC history – dangling in the balance. The only thing heavier than the potential payday is the cloud of uncertainty hanging over whether this blockbuster will ever actually happen.
UFC Negotiation Stalemate: Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall
Negotiations for this unification bout have dragged on since last November, with both fighters and the UFC locked in a will-they-won’t-they saga that’s left fans, contenders, and even Dana White himself in a holding pattern. Tom Aspinall, the British interim champ with a penchant for first-round finishes, has spent the past year defending his belt and insisting that Jon Jones is, for all practical purposes, retired “The guy’s living his best life,” Aspinall said this week, “We know Jon’s a religious man, so I want to say: God bless him moving forward with what he does in his life and career.”
Chael Sonnen’s Scoop: Inside the Alleged Mega-Deal
But not everyone is buying the retirement talk. Enter Chael Sonnen, former Jones rival, who claims to have the inside scoop: “There’s a story going around that is largely believed… Jon Jones just wants that guarantee. He doesn’t have a past of selling huge pay-per-views, so when they tell him how great this is going to be, he’s looking around going, ‘Hey, I’ve never had great before. I want my money up front.’ What is believed in our industry is whatever that number was – and I believe that to be $12 million, in case you’re interested, got my own sources – but the UFC said, ‘Okay.’”
“And the problem with giving a guy that big of a quote… Jon’s check at the end of the night will be the biggest check he’s ever got. It’ll be the biggest check anyone has ever got from the UFC.“
According to Sonnen, this would see Jones out-earn the likes of Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, and Ronda Rousey, whose paydays now look positively modest by comparison. The UFC, for its part, seems ready to write the check. Reports suggest that the promotion has agreed to Jones’ terms, meaning the only thing left is for “Bones” to sign on the dotted line.
“If Jon wants the fight to happen today… it could be a done deal today. It’s up to him, and it’s always been up to him,” MMA journalist Ariel Helwani recently said, echoing the industry consensus that the ball is firmly in Jones’ court.Yet, for all the money and hype, the fight itself remains stuck in neutral. Sonnen points out the risk for the UFC: if Jones gets $12 million for Aspinall, he’ll want the same for every fight after, even if the next opponent is less marquee than the British knockout artist. And with heavyweight options thin, the UFC is left with a dilemma – pay up now, or risk the division slipping further into limbo.
Aspinall Waits, Fans Agitate
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall waits, the division stalls, and fans grow restless. The petition to strip Jones of his title has nearly 180,000 signatures. As Sonnen quipped, “This fight is getting smaller, not bigger.” The anticipation that once made this matchup feel inevitable now feels more like a tease, with each passing week eroding the excitement.
Will the UFC’s biggest-ever check finally tempt Jon Jones back into the Octagon for the showdown everyone wants? Or will this be remembered as the fight that never was, a $12 million question mark hanging over the heavyweight crown? For now, all eyes are on Jon Jones.
