Michael Bisping is confident the UFC will come through on the promise of Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight title — and the former middleweight champ is predicting when the highly anticipated mega-fight could happen.
“Well, I definitely believe the fight will happen this year,” Bisping told MMA Fighting while previewing his role in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which opened in theaters Jan. 10. “Seems like Jones is up for it, seems like the UFC wants it to happen. I mean, they said to Tom Aspinall, it’s a done deal, it’s going to happen, and it would just be such a shame if that fight didn’t happen.
“I think it’s going to happen. International Fight Week, Las Vegas 2025. But what do I know I’m not basing that on any inside information.”
Recently, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan said on his massive podcast The Joe Rogan Experience that he believes the UFC is working hard on making Jones vs. Aspinall happen, and that Jones is asking for $30 million and the UFC is “going to pay it, hopefully.”
According to UFC CEO Dana White, Jones asked for roughly $30 million — or that “Deontay Wilder was paid” to fight Tyson Fury for the second time. White thought the idea was absurd back then, but now, perhaps the UFC is in position to pay that rate.
The question remains, however: Is yesterday’s price the same as today’s?
“I know what you know, when Joe Rogan said apparently he wants $30 million, good for him,” Bisping said. “I hope he gets paid that money. I hope he does, and I hope we get to see the fight. And if it isn’t 30 million, maybe it’s around that — maybe it’s $20 million, $25 [million], maybe it’s more. I think the demand for this fight will be there.”
Bisping is returning to the Den of Thieves franchise after playing the role of Connor in the first film in 2018. Nearly seven years later, the film — which stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson — returns for a much-anticipated sequel. The action film will also feature appearances from former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, and GLORY kickboxing great Rico Verhoeven.
The 45-year-old Bisping grinded his way through the U.K. regional MMA scene where he competed on season three of The Ultimate Fighter, winning the light heavyweight season to earn a UFC contract. “The Count” battled in the UFC octagon for over a decade before realizing his dream of becoming world champion with a stunning knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 in June 2016.
Having transitioned from competing in the octagon to calling the action outside of it, Bisping is happy that the UFC’s growth could potentially lead to Jones getting such a massive pay day to fight, which hopefully trickles down the line for years to come.
“I think it’s incredible that in this day and age we’re talking about these kind of fight purses being involved in mixed martial arts,” Bisping explained. “I said this in my video, when I started MMA - I’m talking pre-UFC when I first started like regional level MMA — everybody said, ‘If you’re getting into this sport for money, you’re in the wrong sport,’ and I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is the only reason why I’m getting involved in this sport.’
“Of course, you know, I did pretty well, and now we’re seeing people, obviously Conor McGregor’s done fantastic, lots of people in the UFC have become millionaires through this sport, and now we’re seeing, people like Jon Jones getting what was only regarded, or what was only seen possible in like the high level superstar boxers, those kind of paydays. Now Jon Jones [may be] getting that and other people will be down the line as well.
“I think it’s a great sign of the growth of the sport.”
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