UFC 309 takeaways: Will Jon Jones get his 'f*ck you money' to face ...

UFC CEO Dana White will openly admit to two major failures in his career: One is not reaching a deal to sign Fedor Emelianenko, and the other is not making Jones vs. Francis Ngannou.

There appears to be a significant risk of another fight joining that list if Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the unified heavyweight championship does not get done.

White expressed confidence he would be able to come to terms with Jones to fight Aspinall, despite “Bones” repeatedly stating he has no desire to do that matchup and would rather face Alex Pereira in a potential retirement bout. However, that was before Jones said he wanted “f*ck you money.”

What does that number actually look like? It’s hard to know for sure. Jones said he’s learned not to put figures out to the public after his past experiences in UFC negotiations, but it’s hard to forget the alleged $30 million price tag he requested to do the Ngannou fight several years ago.

That obviously never happened, and as much as some people at UFC will try to paint the narrative it was Ngannou who bailed on the fight – anyone who followed the timeline closely knows that Jones had plenty of culpability in that situation, as well.

But that’s the past, and this is the future. There’s a chance for Jones and the UFC to redeem itself here. If Jones vs. Aspinall is truly the biggest heavyweight fight in company history “by a long shot,” as White claimed post-fight, then no expense should be spared.

It’s understandable why, at this stage of his career, Jones wants the risk to be worth the reward. He might not be verbalizing it in a way that’s appealing to everyone, but I’m not going to rake Jones over the coals for standing up for himself and what he believes is best in the twilight of his fighting days. Moreover, we know the UFC can afford essentially whatever cost Jones demands, and the promotional upside if Aspinall wins would be worth the investment.

It’s going to be a fascinating game to see unfold in the coming weeks and months. The UFC has missed the boat on some defining heavyweight fights in the past, and it would be a damning moment if this one escapes us, too.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.