Jon Jones Talks Timeline of Next UFC Fight After Hiring Agent Richard Schaefer

Jon Jones retained the services Richard Schaefer to aid in his mixed martial arts career.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion said Wednesday he's "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."

The announcement came one day after Jones indicated he may be out of action for the remainder of 2021: 

Schaefer worked alongside Oscar De La Hoya with Golden Boy Promotions from 2002 until his resignation in 2014. In that capacity, he helped promote a number of marquee events including De La Hoya's 2007 encounter with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mayweather's 2013 fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Jones last fought at UFC 247 in February 2020, earning a unanimous decision over Dominick Reyes to retain the light heavyweight title.

The 33-year-old vacated the belt amid a prolonged public standoff with the UFC, with his compensation at the crux of the dispute.

Jones' guaranteed earnings per fight has generally hovered around $500,000 depending on any additional bonuses. As a frame of reference, that figure matches what Ben Askren received for his boxing bout with Jake Paul in April.

Because Jones is still signed with the UFC, it's unclear how much hiring Schaefer can help him branch out from the promotion. Having an experienced promoter such as Schaefer could, however, work toward securing him better financial terms when he does step back inside the cage.