Jon Jones Turned Down Record Purse For UFC Fight vs Tom Aspinall

UFC legend Jon Jones was reportedly offered a record-breaking payday to face Tom Aspinall in a long-rumoured heavyweight unification bout, only to walk away from the fight.

The two best in the weight class appeared destined to clash for the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship, but despite huge fan demand and talk of a massive purse, the bout never materialised.

Jones, widely considered one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, moved up from light heavyweight to claim the UFC Heavyweight Championship in March 2023 with a dominant win over Ciryl Gane. His first title defence was set against former two-time heavyweight champ, Stipe Miocic, at UFC 295, but a torn pectoral muscle forced him to pull out of the bout.

In his absence, an interim title fight was booked between Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, with the British contender securing a stunning first-round knockout to claim gold. The victory instantly sparked excitement for a unification showdown between Jones and Aspinall, but Jones instead returned to fight and defeat Miocic, bypassing the new interim champion entirely.

Many fans and pundits accused Jones of avoiding Aspinall, an impression that only grew stronger when Jones announced his retirement from MMA. The move elevated Aspinall to full UFC Heavyweight Champion without the two ever meeting inside the Octagon.

Jon Jones Would Have Made More Than Triple Brock Lesnar’s Biggest UFC Payday

Now, veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has revealed that Jones not only avoided the fight but turned down a staggering sum to make it happen. Speaking on the Impaulsive podcast, Helwani claimed Jones asked for a $30 million purse, which is more than triple the UFC’s previous record payday of $8 million, earned by Brock Lesnar against Mark Hunt in 2016.

“I think he [Jones] didn’t want to fight him [Aspinall],” Helwani said. “It was a calculated decision. Why did you drag this out all the way until June when you knew you weren’t going to fight him?

Ariel Helwani said Jon Jones asked the UFC for $30M to fight Tom Aspinall, then pulled out two days after they agreed 😅
“He didn’t think they would come up with the number, and they did. Saudi Arabia was involved. He was hoping they wouldn’t meet the number.”
(via @impaulsive) pic.twitter.com/iovs26GZNX
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 13, 2025

“He gave the UFC a number. I believe in the $30 million range. And by the way, I think he deserves it. He didn’t think they would meet the number, and they did. I believe Saudi Arabia was involved, the big dogs were involved.

“He said yes, and then two days later he said, ‘Nah, on second thought, I’m out’. I think he was hoping they wouldn’t meet the number so he could say, ‘Hey guys, I tried’.”

Jones turned down almost five times more than the $6.29m he made after defeating Stipe Miocic in what would prove to be his final career bout at UFC 309 in November 2024. Since retiring, Jones has quietly re-entered the USADA anti-doping pool, fueling speculation of a comeback. Rumours suggest he could return for a special UFC event at the White House in July 2026. Even if he does return on that landmark card, he is unlikely to be able to command anywhere close to the $30m he rejected to face Aspinall.

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