Jake Paul has weighed in on the ongoing dispute between Jon Jones and the UFC, extending a clear invitation to the former two-division champion. This comes after Jones was conspicuously absent from the lineup for the highly anticipated UFC Freedom 250 card.
Last year, Jones vacated his heavyweight championship and announced his retirement rather than face then-interim champion Tom Aspinall. However, with the announcement of the UFC White House event, “Bones” quickly re-entered the testing pool, expressing keen interest in competing on June 14. Over recent months, speculation grew that Jones would face Alex Pereira at this event.
Despite the rumors, when the official bout list was revealed last weekend, Jones’ name was nowhere to be found. Instead, Alex Pereira, who recently vacated his light heavyweight title to pursue a third divisional championship, is now scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim 265-pound title in the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250.
When questioned about Jones’ exclusion, UFC CEO Dana White stated that “Bones” was retired due to hip arthritis and denied that the company had ever approached him about fighting at the White House event. However, Jones has countered, alleging that he was indeed in negotiations with UFC management but was presented with a “lowball” offer. As a result, his potential “last dance” on June 14 never materialized. Expressing his dissatisfaction with White’s remarks, Jones has publicly requested that the UFC release him if they believe he no longer has value to the organization.
Jake Paul Invites Jon Jones to MVP
In light of this public dispute, Jake Paul has openly invited Jon Jones to join his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) if Jones becomes a free agent. Paul has promised that MVP would ensure Jones receives “what he deserves” in terms of payment for an MMA fight. Speaking to the media after the recent Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano press conference, “The Problem Child” stated, “Jon [Jones], you’re always welcome to come over to MVP. We’ll get you paid what you deserve.”
MVP is set to host its inaugural MMA event on May 16, featuring a five-round featherweight main event between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, alongside a heavyweight co-main event pitting Francis Ngannou against Philipe Lins. This card marks Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast.
With MVP already attracting major names like Francis Ngannou, Ronda Rousey, and Gina Carano, the potential addition of Jon Jones could pave the way for a highly anticipated showdown between “Bones” and Ngannou, a matchup fans have long demanded.
