On the April 23 edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” UFC president Dana White said that former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was looking for a $30 million guarantee to face current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
During that same podcast, White said Derrick Lewis would be the man to face Ngannou in his first heavyweight title defense.
That same day, Jones said he never discussed a $30 million payday with the UFC while also wondering if someone other than he was speaking to White about the Ngannou fight.
On April 26, First Round Management who had represented Jones for 11 years, announced it was no longer working with the fighter.