Josh Barnett thinks UFC can ‘easily’ pay Jon Jones for Tom Aspinall fight: ‘They need to figure something out’

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is a fight the UFC should have started working on in late 2023. UFC CEO Dana White insists the fight will happen, but no confirmation has been made as of yet. Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett has good and bad experiences with the UFC, and believes the organization could book the fight if it wanted to.

Jones has repeatedly expressed disinterest in unifying his heavyweight title with interim champion Aspinall. In the lead-up to UFC 309, Jones confessed he wanted a significant payday to justify risking his legacy against Aspinall, who Jones claims lacks credibility. UFC commentator Joe Rogan, allegedly relaying information from White, claimed Jones’ $30 million asking price was a false rumor. Even if it’s true, the former UFC heavyweight champion believes the promotion can afford it.

“If they say he’s asking for 30 million, I say that’s not excessive,” Barnett told CBS Sports while discussing GCW: Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 13, taking place in Las Vegas on Thursday. “I think given access to proper incentive models, you can easily get that model with pay-per-view, a cut of merch and maybe even a little slice out of tickets.”

Barnett notes that headlining professional boxers regularly earn tens to hundreds of millions. The UFC generated $1.140 billion in 2022, more than every mixed martial arts and boxing promoter combined. If boxing promoters can pay out eight and nine-figure purses, the UFC is capable of it, too. It’s more likely the UFC doesn’t want to open Pandora’s box by having its athletes set a precedent.

“If you allow Jones to do that, you have to allow Aspinall the same opportunities,” Barnett said. “Do they want to do that? Do they want to set a new precedent? Probably not.”

UFC has enough money in the vault to bankroll the fight. However, Barnett wonders if a Jones vs. Aspinall fight is profitable in isolation if the promotion meets Jones’ financial demands. UFC built a sustainable business model through its broadcast rights with ESPN and regularly touts record gates, but fan appetite for the sport has noticeably diminished from the 2016 era of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.

“The one thing I can say in defense of the UFC is maybe they don’t believe they can generate the revenue as it stands, right now, to properly payout that fight,” Barnett said. “Under the current models, maybe it won’t bank for them. That could be that pay-per-view numbers have declined, so perhaps they’d have to make up the difference some other way to Jon if that’s in his contract. 

“There are many ways these things can be structured, but it isn’t entirely unfathomable that they don’t believe the money will be generated from this fight. Is that Tom’s fault or Jon’s fault or the UFC’s fault? I wouldn’t know exactly who to paint most with that brush.”

Aspinall is the party most negatively impacted by the UFC heavyweight championship’s long, drawn-out saga. Aspinall has been the interim heavyweight champion since November 2023 and is one of only four interim champions to defend their titles. An interim title exists to be unified with the undisputed belt. Aspinall was instead pushed aside for Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, despite Miocic coming off a loss and a 45-month layoff.

“Tom Aspinall should not be an interim champ, interim champs are trash,” Barnett said. “He’s my favorite heavyweight fighter to watch.

“Tom being an interim champion is bullshit. Jon holding onto the title without fighting is also B.S. They need to figure something out.”

Jones vs. Aspinall isn’t just the heavyweight division’s most anticipated fight, it’s the only one that draws significant interest for the once great weight class. Barnett hopes UFC and Jones can reach a financial agreement to book the fight. If Jones and the UFC can’t settle on terms, Aspinall should become the undisputed champion.

Check out the full interview with Josh Barnett below.

“This is a fight that needs to happen or strip [Jones], to be perfectly honest,” Barnett said. “Letting him hang around and not defend his heavyweight title is B.S., but they don’t want to let it known because the UFC must feel like it’s a card worth holding and their heavyweight division, which is pretty awful overall. 

“It’s not entirely the UFC’s fault because I don’t think the heavyweight division is at its best across the globe. That’s not to say everyone is bad or terrible, things go in waves. At this point, the heavyweights are stuck in a rut. Jones needs to defend that belt, the UFC should put together the package to make it happen.”

Barnett, 47, and the UFC have a tumultuous past. He defeated Randy Couture in 2002 to become the youngest UFC heavyweight champion, a record he still holds. Barnett was stripped of the title after testing positive for banned substances and left the organization. His second stint with the UFC was more harmonious, but he left the organization after a five-year stint do to his distrust for the United States Anti-Doping Agency.