johnnyrocket - MyTwoCents

Daily sports briefs | Jon Jones' UFC fight with Dana White escalates, Lewis Hamilton takes a swipe at fellow F1 drivers, Ronaldo snubs Ronaldo - and more!

JONES WAR WITH WHITE ESCALATES - "QUITS" UFC

UFC GOAT Jon "Bones" Jones has quit the UFC after his war with boss Dana White escalated dramatically over the weekend. The feud? You guessed it ... money. Jones has been pushing for a blockbuster fight with the explosive heavyweight Francis Ngannou while White has poured cold water on it claiming that Jones is asking for "ridiculous" amounts of money for the fight. Jones subsequently called White a "f.....g liar" on Twitter and demanded to be released from his UFC contract. Jones claims he is not being paid his worth as the UFC GOAT, suggesting his current $5m per fight is not even in the same ballpark as the $30m that boxing heavyweight Deontay Wilder gets per fight. On Sunday, Jones vacated his light-heavyweight title on Twitter while leaving the door ajar by making a call out to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: There have been murmurings among UFC fighters past and present that they don't get a fair share of the UFC spoils, but it's difficult to see where Jones is going with this. He has talked about transitioning to boxing but anyone who knows his style of fighting - full range of kicks, elbows, submissions - knows that he is not an out-and-out boxer and would probably struggle to make the grade. Best to swallow his pride, take the $5m on offer per fight and continue to build his legacy.

HAMILTON TAKES A SWIPE AT FELLOW F1 DRIVERS

World champion Lewis Hamilton has taken a jab at the lack of a voice among the F1 community against the injustice and police brutality in the George Floyd death that has caused rioting across the US.

“I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice. Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white-dominated sport. I’m one of the only people of colour there yet I stand alone,” he said.

“I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can’t stand alongside us. Just know I know who you … are and I see you.”

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Hamilton's criticism shook the F1 from its slumber with several high-profile drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris voicing their support for the cause.

RONALDO SNUBS RONALDO

Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo has snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo by naming Lionel Messi as his favourite player to watch, with CR7 not even making his top 5. Messi was joined by Mo Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Eden Hazard as his top picks.

"Messi, of course, he is number one, it is a talent that we will take 20 or 30 years to see something similar," he said.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Not sure what Ronaldo has against CR7, but it would be a bit harsh to put Hazard and Neymar ahead of him. Messi may have the slight edge over him in terms of overall talent and skill level, but CR7 is certainly among the greatest players of all time.