Jon Jones says Dana White ‘guaranteed’ PPV-based pay increase, close to finalizing heavyweight debut

Apart from his public feud with UFC president Dana White last year, it’s all been radio silence on the part of Jon Jones, in terms of his Octagon return. The next bit of news came out in May when “Bones” tapped former Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer to be his advisor.

Jones was in attendance on Thursday’s Hall-of-Fame ceremony to receive the induction of his 2013 fight with Alexander Gustafsson. Here, he gave a timetable for his heavyweight debut, which he expects to happen “sometime in the second quarter of 2022.”

He also revealed to have been “guaranteed” a pay bump by UFC president Dana White, but he will have to earn his keep.

“Dana, he guaranteed me that he would give me an increase in my next fight. So I’m really excited about that. I think it’s going to be pay-per-view based, so I’m gonna have to work for the money that I get, and I would have to sell the fight,” Jones told the media.

“I think that’s something I haven’t been good at in the past. You look at guys like McGregor, who just talks so much shit and he’s so good at it. And so good at marketing himself. I have always just focused on winning. And I think when I come back as a heavyweight, I’ll try to do more legally controversial shit so I can maybe sell a little more pay-per-views.”

Jones says his seemingly successful negotiations with the UFC had a lot to do with Schaefer’s help.

“I think me hiring Richard Schaefer is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, instead of me getting on Twitter and attacking Dana pouring my emotions out,” he said. “I just allow Schaefer to get down to what’s the most important in every situation and talk to the people that need to be spoken to, instead of me going back-and-forth with the fans on Twitter.

“Relationship (with Dana) is good. Schaefer’s really helped out a lot.”

Intending to bulk up to 270 pounds, Jones says his ultimate goal is to be “the most technical, the most well-conditioned, the strongest out of all the heavyweights.” And if it were up to him, he’d be fighting for the title right off the jump.