Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou Could Shatter MMA Pay Records with $50 Million Offer, says UFC Veteran

A fight against Francis Ngannou could net Jon Jones the biggest payday of his career.
While Dana White continues negotiating a long-awaited title unification clash between reigning heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall, PFL founder Donn Davis is desperately trying to book a fight between Jones and Ngannou.

According to three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen, Davis sent ‘Bones’ a DM offering him a massive $50 million payday for a fight with Ngannou, earning him the biggest payout of his career and the biggest disclosed payday for any mixed martial artist in the history of the sport
“Donn Davis, head of the PFL, sent a message directly to Jon Jones on Twitter, claiming he knew a way for Jon to make $50 million in a fight against Francis Ngannou,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “That would be the highest-paid fight of all time—$50 million is a number nobody has ever even asked for in combat sports. If Don Davis says you’re going to get $50 million, you’re going to get $50 million.
“This hypothetical matchup must be assumed to be the biggest fight, the one we want to see more than any other. But here’s the question: is that true? Is Jon Jones versus Francis Ngannou the fight with the highest interest that would equal the highest views? Or is it Jon Jones versus Tom Aspinall? With just a little bit of massaging and a few weeks of headlines, opinions could shift. Regardless, Jon versus Francis remains monumental—a colossal paycheck attached to what could be the biggest fight in MMA history.”
Dana White unlikely to ever sign off on Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou fight
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if the PFL offers Jones $50 million, $100 million, or even $1 billion. The fact remains that ‘Bones’ is under contract with the UFC, and Dana White has proven time and time again that he doesn’t play well with others.

The chances of White agreeing to a cross-promotional clash are slim to none because, in reality, the only one that has anything to gain from it is Davis and the PFL. Sure, White will get his cut of the revenue, but why share profits on Jones vs. Ngannou when he can just cash in on a fight that fans have been clamoring for: Jones vs. Aspinall
White isn’t in the business of giving his competitors a boost, and no amount of money is going to change that.
