Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Negotiations and relationships alike between UFC and Jon Jones have long been tenuous, starting all the way back to the cancelled UFC 151 event in September 2012. While there have been money squabbles along the way, for the most part, fights have been made, however.
Not this time.
Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones is an undeniable fight. The Heavyweight champion who destroys everyone with power punches vs. the Light Heavyweight kingpin who never really lost. It would be a huge fight, but salary negations has kept it from happening. Earlier today, UFC President Dana White revealed that Jones’ $30 million price tag was too high, leading UFC in the direction of Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis 2.
Jones replied on Twitter, denying ever asking for that amount. Jones wrote, “I never discussed wanting 30 million with you or Hunter @danawhite just wondering where you heard that number? Is someone speaking with you on my behalf or …”
I never discussed wanting 30 million with you or Hunter @danawhite just wondering where you heard that number? Is someone speaking with you on my behalf or…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 23, 2021
Could this perhaps be a case of miscommunication? Perhaps Jones wanted a lesser amount up front and expected to end up with $30 million after taking pay-per-view (PPV) buys into account. It doesn’t seem likely, but maybe hope is yet alive.
More likely, let’s just cross our collective fingers that Ngannou vs. Lewis 2 is an improvement on the first fight.
Insomnia
RIP Tyron Woodley’s UFC career.
Looks like Tyron Woodley has been removed from the https://t.co/YHr2ZDqw9f fan rankings pool and the welterweight rankings in general – Khamzat Chimaev replaces him at number 15
— Tom Feely (@omgitsfeely) April 23, 2021
At the rate things are going, there is going to be almost zero publicly available information on UFC fighter pay. That is bad!
Fighter salaries for #UFC261 will NOT be available as public records, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Patrick Fargason tells me.
“The purse for that event has been deemed a trade secret by the promoter and therefore exempt from public record.”
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) April 22, 2021
I may not be predicting her to defeat Valentina Shevchenko, but some of y’all need to put some respect on Jessica Andrade’s name.
Some dope UFC 261 art:
I am surprised that the referee allowed this, but yeah, definitely a badass moment from Israel Adesanya.
Zhang Weili is a kick machine.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Why didn’t UFC sign Brendan Loughnane off “Contender Series” again? Because he shot for a takedown at the end of the fight?
Also on PFL, my good buddy Tyler Diamond was up two rounds when he nearly got murdered by a fastball of an overhand. Somehow, he turned a desperate ankle grab into a real takedown, then he proceeded to pulverize his opponent, nearly stop the fight himself, and win the round. Insane!
Caught standing tall with his feet in a weird spot:
Random Land
Maybe I’m biased because I’m into climbing, but is this bouldering dog not awesome?
Midnight Music: The RZA released a new track under his other stage name, Bobby Digital.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.