'We will be meeting soon' - Jon Jones' new manager Richard Schaeffer talks about his relationship with Dana White
Jon Jones recently announced that he will be having a change in management and will now be advised by Richard Schaeffer. Jones has severed his ties with First Round Management and is instead set to join forces with Schaeffer, the former CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.
Schaeffer has since spoken out about what his plans are regarding Jones' future and which fights he will be trying to book.
Richard Schaeffer discusses his goals for Jon Jones
In a recent interview with MMA on SiriusXM, Schaeffer sat down to speak with host RJ Clifford. The first topic discussed was that of Schaeffer's immediate goals to achieve in regards to Jones' career. His response will no doubt excite many fans of the sport. He stated that:
"There's this big fight out there. The fight against Francis Ngannou, and that's the fight everyone wants to see. That's what fight fans want to see. Not just UFC fans, fight fans period. And that's really my task. To see if there's a way to get that fight done."
Schaeffer went on to discuss his current relationship with UFC president Dana White as well as the likelihood of actually being able to put together a super fight between Jones and Ngannou. He stated the following:
"Dana and me have a great relationship. We respect each other. We've known each other for a long time. I think you saw that yesterday in his comments as well. I respect him, he respects me. I know the pay per view as good as probably anyone and so does he. It's really a matter of finding some common ground. So we will be meeting soon and see if we can structure a deal which everyone can live with. It's probably - at that level, based on my experience in the boxing days when I did the Mayweather fights, the Canelo fights and so on. The best deals are usually those that nobody is really happy with but everybody can live with. And that's really what I'm gonna try to do."
Why Schaeffer is the best man for the job
Schaeffer's credentials in the PPV industry are what truly set him apart from other management. His experience in setting up high-profile fights puts him in the perfect position to begin negotiating on Jones' behalf with the UFC. He stated:
"I think I understand the pay per view business better than most. I know the different revenue streams probably better than most. Because again, I have done millions and millions of pay per view buys and promoted some of the biggest pay per view events of all time."
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