The last time UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones stepped inside the Octagon was in February, and the champion doesn’t plan on fighting anytime soon. Since his public feud with UFC president Dana White a few months ago, Jones has made it clear that won’t be competing in the near future. Because of this, the light heavyweight strap has been in limbo with Bones as the official titleholder, and White has revealed that he doesn’t have plans of stripping Jones.
White spoke with Barstool Sports recently and confirmed that the promotion is “feeling things out” with Bones. When asked what was happening with the champion, White replied, “You know as much as I know. The last time he said I’m not fighting, he’s not fighting. We’re feeling this thing out. When it is time for him to fight, we’ll see.”
The UFC president confirmed that as of right now, he was not thinking about stripping Jones of the light heavyweight belt. Watch the full interview below:
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Jones Does Not Believe He Is Paid Enough By the UFC
In late May, Bones started campaigning for a heavyweight fight with Francis Ngannou. He revealed to his followers on social media that he was negotiating with the UFC about the potential match, but he was not happy with their offer.
Jones and White then got into a public feud about how much Jones was being paid by the UFC. White claimed that Bones was being paid fairly whereas the UFC light heavyweight champ believed he was not earning his worth.
On May 29, Bones tweeted, “I don’t even make half of half of what [Deontay] Wilder makes. If my reputation causes you to undervalue me this much. Just go ahead and release me from my [UFC] contract altogether. I’m sure some promoter somewhere will be more than happy to pick me up.”
The feud between Bones and the UFC continued and the champ eventually announced he would be sitting out of competition for the foreseeable future.
Jones Believes That the UFC Will Realize That They’re ‘Being Stubborn’ & They’ll Meet Halfway
Bones spoke with Jackass’ Steve-O on his podcast Steve-O’s Wild Ride! in late June. During their discussion, Jones said that he had no interest in fighting for the promotion until he was paid more.
He said (transcribed by BJPenn.com): “I got nothing to lose being the position I’m in right now. No, I don’t want to fight soon. I have no interest in fighting in the UFC until I get paid what I believe I’m worth. A lot of fans will continue to watch the UFC and support the UFC and I have no problem with that. I just ordered the last pay-per-view myself.”
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Dana White Reveals Decision on Jon Jones’ UFC Light Heavyweight Belt