UFC President Dana White expressed his heartfelt gratitude for Jon Jones’ announcement on Wednesday that They hired Richard Schaefer, the former CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, as their new advisor.. Schaefer was once introduced on board to lend a hand facilitate a bout between Jones and heavyweight champion Francis Nganou.
However, White mentioned that if Nganau-Jones occurs, it’s going to occur down the street. He mentioned Nganou would make his first protection of his heavyweight name towards Derrick Lewis in Houston in August.
But White mentioned he would possibly paintings with Schaefer.
“I like Richard Schaefer and I respect that guy,” White advised Yahoo Sports. “I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a real guy. He’s the kind of guy who makes deals.”
Schaefer was once virtually the very best guy to rent Jones. Scheffer’s historical past in boxing selling main pay-per-view that includes Oscar de l. a. Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez provides him a novel perception into the industry that few others have.
Jones, a one-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, extensively thought to be the best fighter in combined martial arts historical past, is taking a look to transport as much as heavyweight and seize the championship there.
Schaefer can unquestionably lend a hand ease the deal-making procedure. He mentioned {that a} buddy presented him to Jones, who selected him from a gaggle of people whom he had interviewed.
Jones wrote, “Richard has been in the war zone for over 20 years and has put together some of the biggest global pay-per-view events in that period. The likes of Mayweather, De La Hoya, Canelo, Hopkins, Barrera and Marquez headlines the exciting events that Richard has promoted and produced. His knowledge of the pay-per-view industry and fighting games is second to none.
Unfortunately for fans who are expecting to see Jones fighting Nganou, this year is almost certainly not going to happen. Ngannu probably made his first defense against Lewis in August, which means the Jones-Ngannu fight will have to wait until 2022.
Schaefer, a one-time banking executive, said he signed a multi-action deal with Jones. But he will spend a lot of his time fighting the biggest battle.
“The UFC, now being a publicly traded corporate, they wish to have the largest fights in combination,” Schaefer told Yahoo Sports. “If Jon Jones is sitting round they may not make any cash. They wish to have the ability to construction a deal. And the similar is correct of John. He needs to combat. John is more or less a man, and me He is like, he’ll combat with any person. He loves to problem himself.
“Plus, I’ve always had a good relationship with Dana. You know that. We like the same people in boxing and we hate the same people in boxing. Plus, we always respected each other Is. It’s just a matter of sitting down with Dana, which I will do, and find a way to find a deal that will make no one happy but everyone can live together. “
Schaefer mentioned that his function isn’t to damage the pay construction of the UFC, however most effective to get the most productive deal for Jones. He mentioned that it’s not truthful to check UFC with boxing as they’re basically other in industry.
He mentioned that he believes the Jones-Ngannu is the best combat that may be completed within the UFC and that he thinks White can be chargeable for getting it completed.
“Boxing and MMA are different sports,” Schaefer mentioned. “You always hear people comparing boxing and MMA and saying, ‘Oh, boxers get paid more.’ You can’t really do that. You have to look at it holistically. It’s a different sport, UFC. They have a big investment in their platform etc., so it’s not about breaking the UFC mold. It’s the biggest fight possible But it is about negotiating what I believe can be done in the UFC.
“It does not robotically imply the entirety goes to be other. I don’t believe so. They have their very own marketing strategy, they’ve their very own income proportion and so forth, identical to the NBA does and Major League Baseball and others. … so We can paintings inside that framework and negotiate a deal that works.”
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