‘$10 million is way too low’: Jon Jones details demands over Ngannou superfight, says ‘I want my payday’

Jon Jones has taken to social media to address his money row with UFC president Dana White, asserting that $10 million would not be enough for him to step into the octagon with heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

Ever since Ngannou knocked out heavyweight king Stipe Miocic to become the division's new champion at the weekend, Jones has bickered with White over what he should be paid to step up for a super fight. 

White has been critical of the former light heavyweight ruler, while attempting to push Ngannou towards avenging the second of his two defeats overall in the UFC against Derrick Lewis. 

Rocking up on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, however, Jones first revealed that he had "a brief phone meeting with UFC‘s lawyer Hunter a few days ago".

"As of right now I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to $10 million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That’s all that has been discussed so far," he added.

"I’m supposed to be waiting for what their offer is going to be. Really hoping the numbers are nowhere near that low. I guess we will see what happens."

"One thing I’m sure of, I’ve never had more people excited to see a fight than they are now, I literally can’t walk to my mail box without someone asking me about the fight," Jones went on, before trying to explain the bigger picture.

"I’ve been working my ass off for years, concussions, surgeries, fighting the toughest competition UFC had to offer throughout my 20s for right around 2 million per fight. I’m just trying to have my payday, the fight that all of us fighters believe is one day possible," he wrote.

"I tweeted show me the money and that evidently pissed off the boss. What a learning lesson. I feel like if Conor would’ve sent that same tweet there would have been whiskey night."

"I believe I was grossly underpaid throughout my entire 20s," Jones declared. "I’m not even here bitching about that. I just want to see the future done right."

Simultaneously, though, Derrick Lewis humorously popped up to say he would "do it for 8 million".

While Jones' fans are supportive of his protests, another view is that the New Mexico-based fighter is possibly putting up an unrealistic ceiling as a means of getting out of the potential PPV record breaker. 

"I really hate to say it because of my stance on fighter pay, but if this is the figure that Jones is pushing for then he really is just trying to price himself out of the fight because even my kid knows this is an impossible figure and she's not even 2 yet," wrote one fan. 

"You don’t draw like Conor," came one reply. "Events have been moved and canceled due to your actions. It’s not hard to see why the organization may not want to invest a ton in a fight involving you."

Slightly more sensitive, another user quipped: "Bro I love you but there’s no way you’re getting 10 mill from your last performances , Conor didn’t even get that against Dustin & he’s the biggest name out there in any sport. You left light heavyweight, no one forced you, it’s not the UFC’s fault - just fight & stop moaning."