Jon Jones is officially back in the UFC and he is the reigning heavyweight champion in the world. Some wondered if he can still have the same drawing power after a 3-year-long hiatus. But Jon put all the discussions to bed and delivered the biggest gate revenue for a heavyweight fight in MMA! As per Dana White, UFC 285 had a gate revenue of $12.15 million.
So it is safe to say that Jon Jones is still one of the biggest superstars that the UFC currently has. Hence, he is the big money fight in the heavier weight classes. From the former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya to the former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, everyone wanted to fight Jonny Bones.
The sweetest sound you'll hear all weekend 🔊 #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/n2MOjU1b4Y
— UFC (@ufc) March 5, 2023
While every Jon Jones fight comes with a lot of prestige, there is also a certain monetary value to them. His bouts against Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 and UFC 214 had a combined PPV buy rate of 1,600,000 million! It just proves that fans will tune in to watch the 35-year-old fight regardless of whatever controversy he finds himself in. Hence, the current light heavyweight champ, Jamahal Hill, wants to share the cage with Jones.
Jamahal Hill wants to fight Jon Jones at heavyweight
Jamahal Hill came into the company after impressing the UFC President at Dana White’s Contender Series. However, nobody could have thought that Hill would become the UFC champ someday. However, Hill proved everyone wrong, as he defeated Glover Teixeira in his home country Brazil at UFC 283. But he is not stopping there and has the aspirations to fight Jon Jones at heavyweight!
Hill appeared on The BTM Podcast recently and revealed he wants to make the same amount of money that Conor McGregor makes. However, there is nobody at 205 lbs, who can generate the same revenue that McGregor does.
Hence, Hill is eyeing a move up a weight class to perhaps make a super fight. Judging by the recent champ vs champ fight at UFC 284, a potential bout between Hill and Jones has the materials to be an all-timer! Plus, if he can beat Jon Jone for the heavyweight title, Jamahal will forever etch his name in the history books.
Hill added, “Jon Jones, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. Whenever I first came in, you can go back, you can watch the contender series, whenever I first came in, that’s who I told them. That’s who I’m here for. I want to take him out, from the beginning. Like for me, getting into this lane and stuff, I want greatness to chase. You know, before I stepped away for a while because I didn’t feel like the money was there, I didn’t feel like the bag was there.”
“Then Conor McGregor happened and he showed alright you can get a bag off of this. So then I came in, alright, so who do I actually have to go after and try to make that fight with, to where I can actually get to that? And, he was the guy. He still is,” added Hill.
But Jamahal “Sweet Dreams” Hill is not planning on abandoning light heavyweight so soon. He wants to fight all the upcoming contenders and build a legacy in the weight class. At UFC 285, fans caught a glimpse of Hill squaring up against Jiri Prochazka. Jiri had to vacate the light heavyweight belt due to an injury ahead of UFC 282. Hence, it looks like Prochazka is going to his next challenger.
There is also a possibility that the middleweight champ Alex Pereira moves up to fight Hill. So it remains to be seen when and against whom Jamahal Hill actually defends his title.
