"This number can't be real," "UFC needs to pay up" - Fans react as Colby Covington claims Jon Jones wants $40-50 million to fight Tom Aspinall

Colby Covington believes Jon Jones is avoiding a showdown with Tom Aspinall, claiming the heavyweight champion is making unrealistic financial demands. Covington said that Jones is asking for $40–50 million to accept the fight, a figure he deems excessive.

The highly anticipated matchup between Jones and Aspinall has been in limbo, despite UFC boss Dana White insisting it will happen. However, negotiations appear to be stalling, leading many to question whether Jones will ever step into the octagon with the interim champion.

In a recent episode of the Red Hawk Recap podcast, 'Chaos' expressed his doubts, suggesting Jones is deliberately pricing himself out of the fight:

“Jon is ducking; he’s trying to ask for an unreasonable price. You can’t be asking for $40 or $50 million. You don’t draw money to the company like that. I think he’ll end up retiring before he fights Aspinall.”

Fans quickly reacted to the claim, with one commenting:

“This number can't be real…”

Another wrote:

“You get what you negotiate. The UFC needs to pay up.”

Others argued that a fight of this magnitude justifies the price, with one fan stating:

“The biggest fight in the company’s history should be able to pay Jones that. The money they’ll make off of it for years will far exceed the 50 million.”

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Colby Covington's recent comments on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. [Screenshot courtesy: X]

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Michael Bisping weighs in on the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall drama

Michael Bisping believes Jon Jones is strategically fueling anticipation for the potential fight against interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. The former middleweight champion suggested that Jones’ dismissive attitude toward the matchup may be a calculated move to build hype.

At a UFC London Q&A session, 'The Count' addressed whether Jones was avoiding Aspinall. While he acknowledged Jones as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Bisping noted that refusing the fight could impact his legacy:

"I think that if Jon Jones doesn't fight Tom Aspinall, then I think that definitely will affect his legacy. I think what he's doing is playing a really smart game."

Jones, according to the Brit, used similar tactics before his UFC 309 fight against Stipe Miocic, downplaying the matchup and eventually dominating the former heavyweight champion. Bisping believes Jones is employing the same strategy for Aspinall, frustrating fans and fighters while driving up demand for the fight:

"I think he's playing, like, a stroke of genius here and annoying everybody, you know, pi**ing off Tom Aspinall, and just ramping up the excitement for the fight. I think the fight will happen later this year, if not this summer, so until we know that, it's not fair to say that he's ducking him."

Check out Michael Bisping's thoughts on potential Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall: