J. Jones planned to debut at heavyweight in 2021.
Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @jonnybones
Experiencing a troubled relationship with Ultimate, Jon Jones There is one more issue to resolve. After breaking with Malki and Abraham Kawa, leaders of theFirst Round Management', who had been managing him for years, the fighter, if he wants, can have another strong representative. Agent with names like Khabib Nurmagomedov e Kamaru Usman, Ali Abdelaziz made himself available to take care of the legend's career. In an interview with 'MMA Junkie', the businessman spoke about the subject.
See too
“I wish Jon all the best. I'm flattered that my name came up, but I think he's the only person who can help himself. Of course, if I can help, I will. I help guys that I don't even manage. With Georges St-Pierre, when he returned (to face Michael Bisping), I flew on a private jet with Dana White to meet him and Ari Emanuel to seal the deal. I didn't make a dollar and Georges made $10 million. (..) Jon (Jones) knows my number. I know he has an incredible team behind him giving advice. If he needs any assistance, I will be happy to help him, out of respect. It doesn't mean: 'I want to sign with Jon Jones, wants to be your manager,” said Abdelaziz.
Aware of the current imbroglio between 'Bones' and the UFC, Abdelaziz sent a direct message to the parties involved. Seeking to end the discussion about the figures that could be received in a possible superfight between Jones and Francis Ngannou, Ali was succinct in describing the ideal scenario for a happy ending.
“Look, Dana White is undefeated in public feuds. Jon Jones He's one of the best fighters we've ever seen, a legend. I believe all of these guys deserve more money. All good. If he (Jon) thinks he deserves it, sit down with Dana White, you and him, shut everyone up and talk. He may disagree, but at the end of the day, deals can be done behind closed doors. Big deals are not resolved by the press. This makes me sad,” said Abdelaziz.
Finally, the businessman spoke with excitement and understood Jones' – supposed – high demand for the duel against Ngannou, for the heavyweight belt (up to 120,2kg). For the agent, the dream match has everything to be a success and could break audience records. However, it is necessary for the parties to put their problems aside and try to find a common denominator.
“I think Dana White respects the Jon Jones. The fight to be made is Jon Jones against Francis Ngannou. This could yield at least 1,5 million pay-per-views. Make the arrangement, a performance agreement. This will make a lot of money and I hate not to see this showdown happening. I think Ngannou deserves a big fight and Jon Jones He deserved a title shot. Dana has a lot of good in him, high-level people around him. If Dana is angry, someone can come in and fix it. But Dana is the boss. She is the one who decides. You can talk bad about him, he can talk bad about you, but in reality, if you are the best of all time, you deserve much more than fighting with people online”, he concluded.
Absolute UFC light heavyweight (up to 93kg) legend, Jones hasn't fought since February 2020, when he defeated Dominick reyes and carried out yet another belt defense. In August of the same year, the North American decided to definitively abandon the title and began to dedicate himself to moving to the top division.
Since then, there has been a lot of talk about an immediate title shot for 'Bones' upon his debut. The initial plan was to pit the legend against the winner of the clash between Stipe Miocic e Francis Ngannou, who exchanged forces in the UFC 260.
After the French-Cameroonian's triumph, White, who had already confirmed Jon as challenger, changed his speech due to the values requested by the former champion. Now, Ultimate signals the possibility of promoting a rematch between Ngannou and Derrick Lewis, which is enjoying a great moment in the division.
Comments