JON JONES' striking coach reckons a heavyweight title fight with Francis Ngannou would be worth at least £42million.
Ngannou vs Jones became the biggest fight available to the promotion following the Cameroonian's brutal second-round KO victory over Stipe Miocic late last month.
But former long-reigning light-heavyweight king Jones won't take the fight unless he's given a huge bump in pay.
Coach Mike Winkeljohn reckons the fight is a lucrative one for all parties involved and believes the UFC brass should stump up the cash and meet Jones' demands.
During an appearance on Submission Radio: “Gosh, I look at the big fights.
"I think this fight can be easily as [big as] some of the big Mayweather fights out there. What did Floyd Mayweather make? A hundred million?
"I don’t know. You know, that type of thing. [Mayweather] was kind of his own promoter. So, Jon’s gotta share that with the UFC as far as on pay-per-view buys.
“But I don’t see why it wouldn’t be a $50 million fight.
"And the UFC still makes bank, and is able to pay off a lot of the debt they have and go forward.
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"I think the UFC needs a superstar like Jon Jones. I think Conor [McGregor] was the guy for a while, and he’s fallen off.
'But those big names is what makes the UFC money, ultimately.”
Jones has publicly called for the UFC to release him from his contract if they don't want to meet his asking price.
Winkeljohn, however, has yet to discuss the prospect of Bones fighting for a different promotion.
He said: “That’s a conversation I haven’t had deep with Jon Jones.
"Like I said, I think it’s all about are there other promoters out there that can put together the matches for Jon Jones? Can he make the money outside? Or does he need the UFC?
“I mean, that’s the ultimate question right there.
"The UFC’s the top, and they are who they are for a reason. They’re the best at what they do, and they have a great value that way.
"And Dana [White]understands that. He’s the one that built it. There’s no doubt about it. So, it’s all about what Jon can find, what’s best for him.
"And ultimately, he’s got to make that decision. And his team, all the coaches, we’re gonna back him up one hundred percent.
“He would never leave the UFC if he didn’t’ have a plan. Like I said, Jon’s a master behind the scenes.
"People don’t understand. He’s hung out with Greg Jackson for a long time. And talking about understanding strategy, those two guys, they get pretty deep with what they’re doing.
“So, there’s always fakes and feints out there, and playing one thing. The art of war has been read many times by both of them.”
The UFC have seemingly refused to play ball with Jones as they've offered Ngannou a rematch with Derrick Lewis on June 12.
But the promotion's first African-born heavyweight champion reportedly doesn't want to perform such a quick turnaround.
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