NEW ERA: JON JONES EYES MVP JUMP AS UFC RELATIONSHIP HITS BREAKING POINT
Jon Jones hits back at the UFC, demanding his contract be terminated to pursue new opportunities at Most Valuable Promotions.
Jake Paul says he’s ready to promote Jon Jones if Dana White lets him walk away from the UFC.
Jones wanted a spot on the big UFC White House card in June. He hinted that the promotion even reached out about an appearance. Most people thought they’d finally line him up against Alex Pereira, who just moved up to heavyweight, but Pereira’s fighting Cyril Gane instead.
Then Dana White went public, basically saying Jones is done with the UFC and retired from MMA. That didn’t sit well with Jones. He fired back, demanding a release so he could look at other opportunities.
If he gets out of that ironclad contract, Jake Paul’s new MMA project with Most Valuable Promotions is a real option. Paul’s already signed Jones’ long-time rival, Francis Ngannou, who’s set to fight Philipe Lins on their debut card in May. Now, Paul says he’d happily work with Jones too.
At a press conference, Paul put it out there: “Jon, you’re always welcome to come over to MVP. We’ll get it popping, and we’ll get you paid what you deserve.”
Honestly, Paul trying to lure Jones over feels possible, especially since Jones has wanted to fight Ngannou for years. The fight has been teased both inside and outside the UFC, but it has never materialised.
Paul’s clearly gunning to shake up the UFC’s grip on MMA, so who knows, an offer to Jones could be coming soon.
But can Jones actually fight again? Lately, he’s talked about hip problems that have made people doubt his future. He hasn’t fought since defending his title in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic. Still, he says the injury won’t stop him.
On social media, Jones said, “Yeah, I’ve got arthritis in my hip, and it hurts, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight. So let me get this straight: if I took the lowball offer, my hip would magically be fine, and I’d be on the White House card? That makes no sense. I even got stem cell treatment last week to be ready, and training camp was supposed to start today. I was getting prepared. If the UFC really thinks I’m finished, I’m asking to be released from my contract right now. No more spin, no more games. Thanks to the real fans who get it.”
REVENGE MISSION: EDDIE HEARN SIGNS UFC CHAMP TOM ASPINALL AFTER LOSING CONOR BENN
Eddie Hearn strikes back: Read about Tom Aspinall signing with Matchroom, Conor Benn’s $15M Zuffa deal, and the Dana White rivalry.
Dana White, the boss at UFC and the man behind Zuffa Boxing, just snagged Conor Benn away from Eddie Hearn. Although if we’re being honest, Benn did a lot of the heavy lifting himself with that $15 million price tag.
White was quick to celebrate, maybe a little too loudly, especially on the UFC side, but Hearn didn’t let him have the spotlight for long. Not even a week later, Hearn fired back by announcing he’d signed UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall to the Matchroom Talent Agency.
This back-and-forth between Hearn and White is turning into one of the more interesting rivalries in combat sports right now.
Zuffa Boxing’s move to grab Benn for a one-fight, $15 million deal definitely made waves. Benn, after all, spent ten years fighting under Hearn’s banner before jumping ship. Hearn hasn’t been shy about how much the move stings, especially since he’s been trading barbs with White nonstop.
But Hearn’s not just sitting around feeling sorry for himself. He went public on Instagram, welcoming Aspinall to the Matchroom squad. “Welcome to the team, UFC Heavyweight Champ @tomaspinallofficial,” Hearn posted. “Time to get what’s yours @matchroomtalentagency.”
It’s just the latest shot in their ongoing feud. White’s been out there calling Hearn soft for getting emotional about Benn leaving. Hearn, never one to back down, fired back in an interview, saying White doesn’t care about his fighters at all.
“I hear people’s comments, like Dana White calling me names and Terence Crawford asking if I actually care about these guys,” Hearn said. “I’m not saying I’m perfect, but we’re not like Dana White and his crew. They don’t give a damn about the fighters.
“Have you ever seen Dana White show any emotion when someone wins? He just hands over the belt, does a press conference, then heads home to his mansion with a cigar and a glass of whisky, thinking, ‘Life is sweet; we just made $800 million this year.’”
So what do you think about Tom Aspinall teaming up with Hearn’s agency? Is this a good move for Aspinall, or is it going to cause problems down the line? Let’s hear your thoughts.
MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO 2: CAN THE LAS VEGAS SPHERE BREAK REVENUE RECORDS?
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 at the Sphere! Read about the $4,000+ ticket prices, the 17,600 capacity, and new streaming rumours.
When it comes to the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquiao rematch, the choice of venue, Las Vegas Sphere, changes the game. You just can’t rely on ticket sales the way you could back in 2015. There’s only so much space, and that puts a cap on one of the biggest money-makers from their first fight.
People are already throwing around some wild numbers about how much this rematch could pull in. They keep looking back at that first fight, which still holds the record for the highest-grossing boxing event ever.
Back then, they raked in about $72 million from just over 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand. The Sphere isn’t much bigger at best; you get 17,600 seats, and that’s if you squeeze in every last one. So, even if you max out the space, you’re only adding about 1,300 seats. That’s not a game-changer.
So, how do you make more money? It comes down to charging more for tickets. The 2015 fight already had an average ticket price north of $4,000. To top that, promoters need to crank up the prices for premium seats and VIP experiences.
Mayweather hasn’t fought since he stopped Conor McGregor in 2017. Pacquiao came back last year and fought Mario Barrios to a draw for the WBC welterweight title. Even now, both guys are still huge names. Their first fight had the whole world watching, and it paid off big time.
But this second act could look different. In 2015, the pay-per-view model pulled in a record 4.6 million buys in the U.S. This time, there’s talk about going with a streaming deal instead. If that happens, most of the money comes from broadcast rights and sponsorships, not just people splurging on tickets.
The Sphere itself will give the rematch a unique vibe. But with the limited number of seats, what really matters is how they price those tickets and how much they can bring in from media rights. The days of packing in way more fans for the gate are over, at least for this fight.
