Nick Baldwin

Jon Jones wants the UFC to make it worth his while to step into the Octagon again - especially if it's against Tom Aspinall.After finishing Stipe Miocic in his first heavyweight title defense at UFC 309 on Saturday, Jones said it'd take a "very, very high" amount of money for him to forgo a superfight against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira to unify the belts with Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champ."If I give (Aspinall) the opportunity to fight me, I want to be so compensated - I want to say I want that f--k you money," Jones said at the postfight press conference. "Honestly. That's just what it is. ... My life is perfect without him. I don't need him at all, and he needs me."During fight week, Jones was adamant he had no interest in facing Aspinall and went as far as to say he'd vacate the heavyweight title to set up a fight with Pereira. However, UFC CEO Dana White said he'd only make the Jones-Pereira matchup if the heavyweight champion fought and beat Aspinall first.Jones hinted at retirement several times leading up to Saturday's fight with Miocic, including Wednesday when he said he'd walk away from the sport if the UFC didn't want to book the Pereira fight.Jones said in the Octagon on Saturday that he'd likely continue his career - if the UFC pays him well."I know that Dana wants what he wants. He wants some big fights," Jones said on the postfight show. "I just wanna see if he's willing to compensate me. I see these guys out there making some really, really big bucks - Jake Paul and Mike Tyson and all that type of stuff. ... If he could consider me in that conversation, then I'd love to stick around. But I'm really ready for my life to be changed in a much different way."Jones added that his preference is still to face Pereira, even if it isn't for the heavyweight belt."I'm not really worried about the Tom fight," Jones said. "I'm really worried about the Pereira fight. That's what I want to do. If the UFC wants to have me back, then I think that's the fight they'll make."He added: "Tom can have the heavyweight championship. I don't really care about it. ... I've created something much bigger. I want Pereira."White said he lost even more interest in Jones-Pereira after seeing Jones dominate Miocic. The UFC CEO said he believes Jones would be "too big" for Pereira, a former middleweight. However, he'd at least entertain the matchup if they both want it."It just doesn't make sense to make that fight," White said at the postfight press conference. "If they both want it bad enough and they're both f-----g hounding me or something, maybe I would do it. ... And I'm sure the fans want to see it, I'm sure you want to see it. I guess we'll talk about it."White said he thinks Jones-Aspinall "would be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history by a long shot.""If that doesn't interest Jon Jones, then I don't know what else we can do," Aspinall said on the postfight show. "Everybody knows that this is the fight to make. ... This is the fight that has to happen now."Jones said he'd be satisfied if UFC 309 ended up being his final fight."If that was my last fight ever, then I'm cool with that," Jones said. "That was the way to do it. ... I think one of the really good things about negotiating is being willing to walk away from a deal. That's the deal that I want (the Pereira fight), and if that's not what the fans want, then I guess I'll say sayonara."

Jon Jones retained the UFC heavyweight title for the first time Saturday, defeating Stipe Miocic - and sending the former champion into retirement

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Usman Nurmagomedov will defend the Bellator lightweight title against Paul Hughes at a Champions Series event Jan. 25 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the PFL announced Wednesday.

Jon Jones didn't retake the top spot on the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings after his win over Stipe Miocic.

Usman Nurmagomedov will defend the Bellator lightweight championship against Paul Hughes at a PFL event Jan. 25 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Gable Steveson can envision himself pursuing a career in mixed martial arts.

Feng Xiaocan left the Octagon on a stretcher after a scary knockout loss at UFC Macau.

Petr Yan defeated Deiveson Figueiredo via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) in the UFC Macau main event Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China.

No one in the top 15 of the UFC bantamweight division has a fight booked following Petr Yan's big win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau on Saturday, so there's no time like the present to put on our matchmaker hat.Here are five matchups we want to see come to fruition at 135 pounds - one of the promotion's deepest weight classes - as we get closer to 2025.Merab Dvalishvili (c) vs. Umar NurmagomedovNothing needs to be said about this one. The UFC wants it, Nurmagomedov wants it, and Dvalishvili is at least open to it - it's just a matter of figuring out the timing and putting pen to paper. Nurmagomedov earned a title shot by beating Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi in August, and there's no way anyone should leapfrog the undefeated Dagestani. It might not be a pay-per-view blockbuster, but Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov will be one of the most anticipated matchups among hardcore fans next year. Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan 2After seeing Yan beat Figueiredo, a rematch with O'Malley - ideally over five rounds this time - makes a lot of sense as a No. 1 contender bout. O'Malley pulled off a major upset against Yan in 2022, beating him via split decision. But it was an extremely controversial result. O'Malley needs a win before he can think about getting the title back, and so does Yan. Why not run it back and leave no room for questions? The winner would likely get the next title shot against either Dvalishvili or Nurmagomedov.Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson FigueiredoThough Sandhagen and Figueiredo are two of the top bantamweights in the UFC - No. 4 and No. 5, respectively - they're both coming off losses. And they need to get back on track if they want any shot of competing for a title in the foreseeable future. Stylistically, Sandhagen-Figueiredo could be a lot of fun, and it would be a good way to find out which one of them is a true title contender.Marlon Vera vs. Henry CejudoVera and Cejudo were scheduled to square off at UFC 292 in August 2023 before Cejudo pulled out with a shoulder injury. Neither has had any luck this year, going a combined 0-3 in the Octagon, so this matchup is a solid option for both men. Vera lost back-to-back fights to O'Malley (for the title) and Figueiredo, while Cejudo came up short to Dvalishvili. Cejudo likely has only one or two fights left before he retires for a second time, and a matchup with "Chito" would allow him to make one last push toward the top of the division.Jose Aldo vs. Dominick CruzCruz said last week he wants to have "one last dance" in 2025 before hanging up the gloves for good. Some would say the 39-year-old has been semi-retired for a while - he last fought in August 2022 and frequently serves as a UFC color commentator and analyst. If Cruz's next walk is indeed his last, the only opponent the promotion should consider is UFC Hall of Famer and former featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Two of the best fighters of the 2010s, Cruz and Aldo were champions at the same time in the WEC and then again in the UFC. A clash between these two legends would be iconic.