Curtis Blaydes-Courtesy UFC.com
Curtis Blaydes has little interest in fighting Jon Jones on current deal: ‘I’m not going to fight Jon Jones for $200,000’
Curtis Blaydes believes in order for him to fight Jon Jones he will need a new contract.
After Jones vacated the light heavyweight title to move up to heavyweight, many wondered who he would debut against. With Stipe Miocic set to take on Francis Ngannou, fighting the winner of Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis certainly makes sense. However, for Blaydes, he says at his current contract it doesn’t make sense to fight Jones.
Blaydes on whether he wants to face Jon Jones: "We're talking about money. I'm not going to fight Jon Jones for $200,000. That's ridiculous. I think a lot of people forget that we get paid what we get paid regardless of who the opponent is… I can fight a bum to make $200,000" pic.twitter.com/LoTP3vlKjC
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) November 24, 2020
“I think, mo, I’m not doing that. If I win this fight, I want the title shot. I’m not going to be cannon fodder to build up someone else. I’ve already built up myself and I feel like I’ve earned that,” Blaydes said to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter. “I have a recognition that I don’t have to take that fight if I don’t need it. That’s a title fight. I’m not fighting Jon Jones to prove that I deserve a heavyweight title shot, that’s ridiculous.”
For Curtis Blaydes, he says being the first person to beat Jon Jones isn’t that appealing because at the end of the day, this is his job and the money has to line up.
“I mean it does but we’re talking about money. I’m not going to fight Jon Jones for 200 grand, that’s ridiculous. I think that a lot of people forget that we get paid what we get paid regardless of who the opponent is,” he said. “So, I don’t need to fight Jon Jones to make my 200 grand. I can fight a bum and make 200 grand. If I fight Jon Jones, I want that money.”
Ultimately, Blaydes says if the UFC were to offer him $400,000 he would be more open to the fight.
“I know that is not what the fans want to hear but this is business. I don’t fight for fun, I don’t fight for ego, I don’t fight for legacy, I fight for money, I’m a prizefighter,” he concluded.
Curtis Blaydes certainly has a point where he is coming from as a win over Lewis could very well earn him the next crack at heavyweight gold after Ngannou fights Miocic.
