UFC President, Dana White has responded positively to Jon Jones‘ new manager announcement.
Jones recently declared on social media that Richard Schaefer would serve as his advisor. ‘Bones’ stated that he is excited to finish contract negotiations with the UFC and make his long-awaited debut in the UFC heavyweight division.
White issued the following statement to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto in response to the recent revelation about Jones’ new advisor/manager Richard Schaefer.
“I like Richard, I’ve known Richard for a long time, and obviously, he built Golden Boy. He built that company. He knows what he’s doing. He’s a smart guy. I like and respect him, and if we can get something done, we will,” he said.
Moreover, White had praised Schaefer even before he was announced as Jones’ advisor. White credited Schaefer for being the brains behind the world-renowned Golden Boy boxing promotion.
Alternatively, White criticised Oscar De La Hoya for simply being the face of the promotion and not contributing to the organisation’s functional efficiency.
Jon Jones ends ties with First Round Management
Jones recently parted ways with First Round Management. He confirmed that prominent combat sports manager and entrepreneur Richard Schaefer would work as his advisor.
‘Bones’ alluded to this being a significant development for him as he enters the next phase of his career amidst pivotal contract negotiations with the UFC. Jones put forth a statement via his official Twitter account regarding the same.
He wrote, “I have retained Richard Schaefer as my advisor. Richard has been in the combat sports space for over 20 years and has put together some of the biggest pay-per-view events over that period.
“The likes of (Floyd) Mayweather, (Oscar) De La Hoya, ‘Canelo’ (Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez), (Bernard) Hopkins, (Marco Antonio) Barrera and (Juan Manuel) Marquez have headlined exciting events that Richard has promoted and produced.
“His knowledges and experience of the pay-per-view industry and combat sports are second to none. I am excited to embark on this next chapter of my career as I continue to cement my place in history as one of the greats with Richard as my advisor. I can’t wait to give my fans and the sport the fights they want to see.”
Jones was supposed to make his heavyweight debut against reigning UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a title fight.
However, Jones and the UFC have been at odds over his compensation for the fight. As a result, the UFC is looking to schedule a rematch between Ngannou and Derrick Lewis for the summer.
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