Joe Rogan jumped into the Jon Jones versus UFC conversation during a recent UFC London Fight Companion episode with Brendan Schaub. Jones is upset about not being included on the UFC White House card and has said the promotion offered him at most $15 million to face Alex Pereira on June 14. He found that figure unacceptable.
Rogan: it came down to money
On the podcast Rogan summed it up bluntly. He called it a money issue and quoted Jones as saying UFC would not move past $15 million. Rogan argued that Jones brings a lot to the table and that putting him on the White House card would change how people see the event.
Brendan Schaub pushed back
Schaub did not let Jones off the hook. He reminded listeners that Jones reportedly turned down a separate $30 million offer to fight Tom Aspinall. Schaub said that means Jones bears some responsibility for the situation, since big offers were on the table before.
- Offer for Pereira: Jones says the UFC offered no more than $15 million for the June 14 fight.
- Earlier offer: Jones is said to have declined a $30 million proposal to face Tom Aspinall.
- What is at stake: Rogan pointed out this bout would be for an interim title, and that Jones appearing on the White House card would raise the profile of the whole event.
Rogan emphasized the promotional impact. If Jones shows up on the White House card, Rogan said many fans would react strongly and the perception of the event would shift. Schaub agreed that the UFC could probably pay more, but he also reminded listeners that Jones has turned down big money before.
The core facts are simple: Jones is unhappy about being left off a high profile card, Jones claims the UFC would not pay more than $15 million to fight Alex Pereira, and Rogan and Schaub debated how much blame belongs to the fighter and how much to the promotion.
