$100M Jake Paul Blamed for the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Fiasco as UFC CEO Finally Teases Moving On

Jon Jones hasn’t thrown a punch since UFC 309 in November 2024. But outside the Octagon? The undisputed heavyweight champ has stirred up a storm. After months of confusion over whether he’d unify his title against interim champ Tom Aspinall, UFC CEO Dana White has finally had enough. In a recent interview on ‘The Jim Rome Show’, the UFC boss stated, “If we can’t get this fight done, we’ll move on quickly. … We’ll have answers in the next couple weeks.”

It’s a bombshell. But what if the problem isn’t just negotiations? What if it’s numbers, specifically, those thrown around by someone who isn’t even in the UFC? That’s where Chael Sonnen comes in with an intriguing perspective on what has caused the Jones vs Aspinall bout to be held up for so long!

Chael Sonnen points to Jake Paul as he reveals a possible reason for Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall confusion

Speaking on his YouTube channel, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen recently dropped a theory that has put the crosshairs firmly on Jake Paul, the social media star turned boxer. According to Sonnen, the chaos surrounding the Jones vs. Aspinall saga might all go back to one thing, the dollar signs Jake Paul threw into the wind after his bout with Mike Tyson.

‘The Bad Guy’ began by stating, “Like this fight that we’re hearing is going back and forth, is that really what’s happened? Because the timeline in my mind, Jon Jones beats Stipe Miocic, takes to the media that night and starts throwing out the numbers for himself that the media falsely reported for Jake Paul earlier in that day.”

That “number”? $40 million. Just a day before Jones fought Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, Jake Paul reportedly claimed he had made $40 million for his bout with Mike Tyson. In fact, Sonnen says the figure was made up. But it was loud enough to echo through fight week, and, perhaps, into Jones’ mind.

As such, Sonnen continued, “Jake Paul untruthfully reported that he was paid $40 million to fight Mike Tyson, so 40 million is the biggest number Jon can think of, right. This was one day before Jon versus Stipe, so Jon beats Stipe, he goes to the post-fight press conference and he throws out the biggest number that he could think of 40 million, the exact number that Jake Paul had just made up and put out himself.”

Could Jon Jones have pulled his rumored $30M-$40M demand from the internet buzz surrounding Jake Paul’s boxing circus? Well, it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Paul, after all, is a marketing machine with a net worth estimated at $100 million. The Mike Tyson bout reportedly earned him somewhere in that $40 million ballpark, according to speculative sources like DraftKings Network.

But here’s where it gets murky. Dana White shot down the rumor that Jones asked for $30 million to fight Aspinall. Even Joe Rogan, who had once repeated it, retracted the claim sharing, “So Dana contacted me and said that rumor was bull—-, so I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor.” Now, with Dana White now threatening to “move on,” fans might not get the heavyweight war they were promised. And if Sonnen’s theory holds any truth, it’s not the UFC, Jones, or even Aspinall to blame. It’s Jake Paul. The social media megastar may not have meant to stir the UFC pot, but his allegedly inflated earnings talk may have unknowingly sent ripples through a fragile negotiation.

So what happens next? Well, if Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall may not become a reality, there might be another superfight materializing on the horizon!

Alex Pereira sends the fans into a frenzy with a weight update on social media

Alex Pereira may have just teased the next chapter in his already legendary career. At UFC 313, Pereira lost his light heavyweight crown to Magomed Ankalaev via a unanimous decision. A rematch was expected, but now it’s tangled in the same kind of negotiation web that’s strangling the heavyweight division. Ankalaev claims Pereira has turned down the offer repeatedly. The Brazilian hasn’t said much, but his latest move? Let’s just say it might be the bombshell no one expected!

In a recent post on his Instagram account, ‘Poatan’ posted a video of himself stepping on a scale. Fully clothed, he weighed in at a staggering 243.8 pounds. That’s heavyweight territory. And the timing is interesting too, as Pereira reportedly just started his new fight camp. Could it be for the Ankalaev rematch? Or is he eyeing something bigger? Like Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?

A fight against Jon Jones has been talked about for a while. But if Jones exits stage left, the road is wide open. And who better for Aspinall to defend his belt against than Pereira, an icon chasing history as the UFC’s first triple champ? A rematch with Ankalaev may still be on the table. But with Pereira now tipping the heavyweight scales, it’s hard to ignore the possibility.

In conclusion, while Jake Paul’s flashy paydays may have unintentionally muddied the waters, if ‘Poatan’ decides to chase history with a jump to heavyweight, the UFC could end up with a blockbuster anyway. Do you think Dana White will move on from waiting for Jon Jones? Will Alex Pereira step up to add his name to the heavyweight mix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!