According to Joe Rogan, current UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones is now considering a rumored retirement from combat sports, after revealing promotional CEO, Dana White contacted him to refute rumors that a $30,000,000 payday was being sought by the Rochester native to make an Octagon return.
Jones, a current heavyweight champion, made his return to action back in November in the headliner of UFC 309, taking on former titleholder, Stipe Miocic in their rescheduled pairing at Madison Square Garden.
And sending the Ohio veteran into retirement, Jones turned in a stunning spinning back-kick to the body TKO win over the former, successfully defending his portion of the heavyweight crown for the first time.
However, following his win in his native New York, former two-weight champion, Jon Jones was linked further with a title unification pairing against current interim gold holder, Tom Aspinall — with the duo rumored to feature in a monstrous grudge fight as soon as this summer.
And this week, long-time color-commentator, Rogan revealed he had heard rumors that Jones was demanding a staggering $30,000,000 payday to fight Aspinall in his return to action.
Joe Rogan reveals Jon Jones now targeting rumored retirement from MMA
However, further revealing a conversation with the above-mentioned long-time promotional leader, White, Rogan labelled the potential payday as “bullsh*t” — before then claiming former pound-for-pound number one, Jones is now in fact, eyeing a rumored retirement sooner than later.
“I had heard a rumor that Jon Jones wanted $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall — and I did hear that rumor, and I did hear the UFC said yes, but it is not true,” Joe Rogan said on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. “So Dana (White) contacted me and said that rumor was bullsh*t, so I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor.”
“Apparently Jon (Jones) is thinking about retiring,” Rogan continued. “And he should. He’s going to have to someday. I’m not saying he should retire, I’m saying he should think about it. Give the man all the time he wants. He can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones. He’s the GOAT. So leave him alone. If he decides one day to come back, and he comes back and wants to fight Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title… the question is, how long are you allowed to hold onto the title before they start having that conversation?”
“Now, he just knocked out Stipe Miocic, so give the man months. Give the man five or six months. Just leave him the f*ck alone.”
