Why did 'Bones' lose his contract?

June 29, 2024

Considered to be the GOAT of MMA by many, Jon Jones was once the face of global sports apparel brand Nike.

Jones became the first UFC fighter to sign a sponsorship deal with Nike back in 2012. In 2013, the company went on to release a signature shoe inspired by the former UFC light heavyweight champion known as the Nike Free Trainer 5.0 Jon 'Bones' Jones. They reportedly sold out in two minutes.

Furthermore, he also had a signature Nike T-shirt released at the same time as his shoe, which also sold out on the very first day of its launch.

However, his partnership with Nike did not last very long. Following a massive brawl with Daniel Cormier in the build-up to their UFC 178 clash, it was suggested that the global sports apparel brand decided to terminate the contract because of Jones' actions.

Watch the incident below:

However, that wasn't true. As clarified by Jon Jones himself, the deal was brought to an end because Nike was moving away from MMA and it was made clear that he wouldn't get the perks he was initially promised, like commercials.

As a result, Jones himself asked for a respectful exit from the company and the partnership between 'Bones' and Nike was brought to an end.

Jon Jones nominates two other fighters for potential sneaker deals

Jon Jones is set to make his highly anticipated return on Saturday for the heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane. It will also be his debut in the heavyweight division of the UFC. Ahead of his return, 'Bones' went sneaker shopping with Complex in New York City.

During the show, Jones was asked to recomment two fighters who he believes deserve their own sneaker deals. 'Bones' named Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor.

It is worth noting that Jones and Adesanya have had their differences in the past. While suggesting that he doesn't like the former UFC middleweight champion very much, he can't deny that the Nigerian-born Kiwi is a "statement maker":

"If I had to recommend, I don't like this fighter very much, but I can't deny Israel Adesanya... He's a statement maker... And then there's Conor McGregor. He makes us all look good... Those are the two guys that seem like they got it going on when it comes to fashion and style."

Watch the full video below:

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