UFC PRESIDENT WEIGHS IN
Exclusive: Dana White explains his beef with Jon "Bones" Jones
Jun 5, 2020, 10:01 am
Photo by Getty Images.
The last time we saw Jon "Bones" Jones fight was right here in Houston on February 8th at UFC 247 inside the Toyota Center. Jones, 32, defeated Dominick Reyes to successfully defend his light heavyweight title.
In an interview on The Jake Asman Show on Gow Media's SB Nation Radio, UFC President Dana White said that both he and Jones are at odds again. This time they are at odds over money. Jones wants to move to the heavyweight division and face knockout artist Francis Ngannou in what would be considered a mega fight. According to White, Jones wanted an "absurd" amount of money, reportedly comparable to what former heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder received for his recent rematch against Tyson Fury ($30 million).
How many times has Dana White been tested for COVID-19? I asked him this morning on the @JakeAsmanShow https://t.co/nEO2002EqR— Jake Asman (@Jake Asman) 1591387395.0
"This isn't the first time that Jones and I have battled and it won't be the last," White said. "I have nothing but respect for Jon Jones. I've been saying the guy is the GOAT. There's all this debate out there over who the GOAT is. There is no debate. Jon Jones has been doing this forever, and despite all the things he's done outside of the octagon, the guy has never lost a fight. Never lost a fight. And he's fought the 'Who's Who' of the sport. We've had disagreements in the past, but we will figure this out."
Despite White claiming that Jones is the GOAT, White says the UFC can not pay Jones what he wants to move up to the heavyweight division to fight someone in Ngannou that isn't a champion. White mentioned that with the pandemic impacting the country, Jones couldn't be picking a worse time to ask for more money.
"He's asking for an insane amount of money to move up to fight a guy that isn't even a champion at heavyweight," White said. "Listen, I'm not discrediting Francis Ngannou but what he is asking for doesn't make sense."
While Jones' greatness in the sport is well documented, White said he often wonders how much more Jones could have accomplished had he never had so many legal and personal issues away from the octagon.
"Jon Jones could have been the LeBron James of this sport," White said. "When I say that, that's the utmost compliment I could give somebody. The crazy thing is when you look at how good Jones is – and he is the GOAT – the crazier part is you look at what could have been."
You can listen to The Jake Asman Show weekdays from 8AM-10AM Central on SB Nation Radio.
You can listen to the full interview with Dana White below.
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The Houston Astros are hoping their ace can help them build momentum.
After taking the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the AL West–leading Astros (58–42) send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound Tuesday night looking to stretch their edge and get back on track following a rocky 10-game stretch.
Valdez (10–4, 2.75 ERA) has been steady all season, and Houston needs another big outing. The Astros have dropped seven of their last ten despite strong efforts from their starting rotation. But Valdez, with a 1.12 WHIP and 125 strikeouts, remains the club’s most consistent option, and his ability to navigate Arizona’s home run, heavy lineup could be the key to another series win.
The Diamondbacks (50–51), meanwhile, sit just under .500 but have shown flashes, especially at home. Arizona averages nearly 1.5 homers per game, led by Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll. But left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (3–6, 5.94 ERA) has struggled in his first season with the club and draws a tough assignment against one of the AL’s top on-base units.
Just in the nick of time?
Christian Walker, who hit a clutch double against is former team in the opener, is finally giving the Astros the middle-of-the-order power they hoped for when they brought him in. Walker has 13 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs and 51 RBIs for the Astros. With the Astros' rash of injuries, they need Walker's production now more than ever. He has 4 RBIs and 1 dinger in his last 3 games.
Houston enters Tuesday with a narrow edge in the series and on the betting line (-126), but they know there’s little room for error. While Arizona has split its last ten games and actually outscored opponents during that span, the Astros are still trying to shake off a slump that’s seen them hit just .234 with a 4.83 ERA in their last 10.
With the trade deadline looming and the division race tightening, every game — and every inning Valdez can give them — matters a little more.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -126, Diamondbacks +105; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.
Game 2 lineup
Back at it.
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What are the big takeaways from Tuesday night's lineup? Cam Smith is leading off again, even though many have been pleading with Joe Espada (me included) to leave him in the cleanup spot. Altuve is in the two-spot and serving as the DH.
Hey, at least Christian Walker isn't hitting fourth! (We'll take the small victories when we get them)! Walker is hitting third, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), and Chas McCormick (CF). Game 1 hero Brice Matthews is hitting six and playing second base, followed by Mauricio Dubon (3B), Cooper Hummel (LF), and Zack Short (SS).
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