Jon Jones has expanded his business portfolio by becoming a co-owner of the Dirty Boxing Championship. This striking fight promotion, founded by BKFC star and former UFC fighter Mike Perry, along with his managers Malki and Abe Kawa, who also represent Jones, has entered into a co-ownership agreement with the UFC heavyweight champion.
The news was initially reported by TMZ on Friday, marking Jones’s entry into the world of fight promotion ownership. Dirty Boxing Championship held a pilot event in November, featuring a main event between former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero and Ras Hylton.
The co-headlining bout saw Andrei Arlovski face Terrance Hodges. The promotion is set to launch its first official event, DBX1, at The Hangar in Miami on Saturday, with Jones expected to be in attendance.
This marks a significant step for the nascent organization as it seeks to establish itself in the combat sports landscape. Jones’s next UFC title defense has yet to be officially announced because everything is in limbo. It is widely anticipated that he will face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout.
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Jones’s most recent fight was in November, where he successfully defended his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden. The potential clash with Aspinall has been a topic of much discussion within the MMA community.
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Jones has publicly expressed reservations about the Aspinall fight, indicating that he requires the UFC to pay up in order for him to prioritize it over a potential matchup with Alex Pereira, which is now off the table since Pereira has moved weight classes.
He has stated that he needed “f*ck you” money to consider Aspinall. This statement highlights Jones’s strategic approach to his career and his focus on securing lucrative opportunities.
“I’m not really worried about the Tom fight. I’m worried about the Pereira fight,” Jones said at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference. “That’s what I want to do. I think if the UFC wants to have me back, then I think that’s the fight they’ll make. I’ve been really clear about my intentions. That’s what I want.”
Despite his personal dislike for Tom Aspinall and his reservations about Aspinall’s suitability as a rival, Jones has left the door slightly ajar for a potential matchup, indicating he could be convinced to fight the Englishman.
“I just feel like anybody would understand at this point. I’ll retire the heavyweight belt if I have to. “I just don’t like him, and at the end of the day, if I give him the opportunity to fight me, I want to be so compensated,” Jones explained. “I want that f*ck you money. Honestly. That’s just what it is. That’s just what it is. My life is perfect without him. I don’t need him at all, and he needs me, and that’s a good place to be in a negotiation.”
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