Heavyweight is the place to be if you’re an MMA fan. After years of subpar depth in the division and some top-heavy rosters, we finally have multiple people who can fight for the title. Derrick Lewis is one of them, and Jon Jones is another.
The new heavyweight champion of the world, Francis Ngannou, won the belt when he beat Stipe Miocic in a dominant display that sent shock waves around the world. It truly is the beginning of the Ngannou era, and Lewis and Jones are the men who have the responsibility to stop him.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
With that in mind, Jon Jones has repeatedly said that he would need a lot of money to fight Ngannou, given the major stakes involved. Additionally, he has also talked about his star power and asked for more than 10 million for a fight.
I had a brief phone meeting with UFC‘s lawyer Hunter a few days ago. As of right now I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to $10 million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That’s all that has been discussed so far.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021
In a recent tweet, Jones revealed that he had talked to the UFC. “I had a brief phone meeting with UFC‘s lawyer Hunter a few days ago. As of right now, I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to $10 million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That’s all that has been discussed so far,” Jones said.
It was some important information and gave the fans an insight into the UFC negotiations. However, at this point, Derrick Lewis stepped in with his incredible comic timing and said that he would do the fight for less. He uploaded a tweet on Twitter that said, “I’ll do it for 8 million s***.”
It was hilarious, and while Jones did fire back with some reasons of his own, he must have been slightly affected by Lewis’s statement.
Derrick Lewis and his first fight against Francis Ngannou
If Derrick Lewis gets this fight against Ngannou, it won’t be the first time they would fight. They fought at UFC 226 in 2018 in one of the worst matches the UFC has ever seen, let alone the division. They both landed a combined total of 31 strikes in the three-round fight, making it an average of two strikes per minute.
USA Today via Reuters
Jul 7, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Francis Ngannou (red gloves) fights Derrick Lewis (blue gloves) during UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Lewis did win that fight because he landed 20 of those strikes. However, the fight hurt both Lewis and Ngannou equally. They both lost their momentum in the run for a title, and it would take a while before they would be back.
Do you think Derrick Lewis can beat Francis Ngannou again? Do you think Jon Jones stands a chance?
Read More: “My Soul Feels Better” – Jon Jones Shares Life-Changing Advice
