When Dana White slammed Jon Jones for demanding Conor McGregor-level money, dared 'Bones' to reveal his UFC pay

Dana White once took a shot at Jon Jones for allegedly requesting a Conor McGregor-level payday, even daring the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion to disclose his earnings publicly.

In several interviews and social media posts following his successful defense of the light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020, 'Bones' admitted to feeling deceived when reflecting on how he was shortchanged early in his career.

Despite establishing his dominant reign as champion by defeating some of the biggest names in MMA history, he felt undervalued for his contributions to the sport.

During an interview on ESPN's First Take in July 2020, White addressed Jones' grievances over his UFC pay and suggested that if the public were aware of the former 205-pound titleholder's full earnings, they'd likely view him as well-compensated:

"Ask Jon Jones what he’s made. Ask Jones how much he’s getting paid. See what he tells you. He won’t tell you what he’s getting paid because I think the narrative changes a lot when you find out what Jon Jones makes."

Although White acknowledged Jones' accomplishments, he wasn’t convinced that his viewership numbers justified the hefty pay he was demanding:

"But Jon Jones feels he is underpaid. I’ve said it many times: I think Jon Jones is the GOAT. I think he’s the greatest in the sport, within the last however many ever years, and he doesn’t make the money that a Conor and a Khabib [Nurmagomedov] make, and he doesn’t like that."

Check out Dana White's comments below (5:08):

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When Dana White denounced Jon Jones in unsealed text messages amid pay dispute

As revealed in unsealed court documents from the UFC antitrust lawsuit, reported by MMA Fighting this past January, Dana White and Jon Jones were embroiled in a contract dispute over the opponent for Jones' light heavyweight title defense in May 2014.

Jones expressed a strong preference to defend his title against Daniel Cormier, but the UFC reportedly pushed for a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson instead. The promotion aimed to extend Jones' contract by adding more fights, but 'Bones' stood firm, demanding a significant pay increase before agreeing to any extension.

According to the documents, White sent a text to then-UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta and inquired about the situation with Jones:

"What’s up with Jones? Did he straighten up or is he still being a scumbag?"

Fertitta replied:

"Still a do*che, but we’re inching closer. Haven’t moved on money, but sent the letter with an ultimatum."

White responded:

"Awesome. F**k that punk, Lorenzo. He needs to know we don’t need him, or he will f**k us over more than he already does."