Dana White and Jon Jones at a UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Dana White compared the complex negotiations to Jon Jones to the historic challenge of dealing with Anderson Silva. In a press conference at UFC 316, held last Saturday (7), the president of the organization stated that both fighters require approaches similar to those of 'artists' to close fights.
“It's definitely the process with Jon Jones. I've been through this since the beginning of his career. He and Anderson Silva: Whenever it came time to book fights, it was like negotiating with artists. It's intriguing!” Dana said.
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Dana, however, insisted that a massive financial offer could change the decision Jon Jones about facing Tom aspinall for the linear heavyweight belt (up to 120,2 kg). A petition to strip 'Bones' of the title, with 130 thousand signatures, was classified by the boss as 'silly'.
"Jon Jones He accepted the fight. He received the proposal and confirmed it. If he wants to retire, we can't force him, but we will resolve it. (…) there are 400 million MMA fans in the world. 130 thousand requests do not dictate our decisions”, concluded the president.
The analogy reflects past episodes with Anderson, whose resistance in negotiations for UFC fights became famous. At the time, the Brazilian was slow to close fights for the middleweight belt (up to 83,9 kg), without there being a good agreement for both parties.
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