Jon Jones Just Became the Face of a Russian Bare Knuckle Promotion

Bro what is happening.

Jon Jones, the greatest MMA fighter who has ever lived, with a 28-1-1 record, two division UFC champion, the guy who dominated light heavyweight for over a decade and knocked out Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden to take the heavyweight belt, just announced that he's the new ambassador for IBA Bare Knuckle. A Russian bare knuckle boxing promotion. Run by the same organization that got kicked out of the Olympics for corruption.

His first event is this Friday, March 28. In St. Petersburg, Russia. Yoel Romero is fighting on the card.

I had to read the announcement three times because I genuinely thought it was fake but it's not. Jon Jones posted a video on Instagram looking like he was filming a local car dealership commercial and said, "This is MMA legend Jon Bones Jones and I am excited to announce my new partnership as an ambassador for IBA Bare Knuckle. My first event with the company is going to be in St. Petersburg on March 28. I'm super excited to see you all there and let's have a show time."

"Let's have a show time." Dude, the GOAT of MMA just said "let's have a show time" about a bare knuckle event in Russia. I don't even know where to start with this.

How We Got Here

Okay so let me walk you through the timeline because watching Jon Jones go from the most dominant fighter in UFC history to Russian bare knuckle ambassador in the span of about nine months is genuinely one of the most bizarre career arcs in combat sports.

June 2025: Jones retires as UFC heavyweight champion. Says he's done. Walks away from the sport.

July 2025: President Trump announces the UFC is doing a card at the White House in June 2026. Jones immediately comes out of retirement and re-enters the drug testing pool. He wants in. He's lobbying publicly for a fight against Alex Pereira on the card.

February 2026: It comes out that Jones has severe arthritis in his hip. Like, "doctors say he needs a hip replacement" level arthritis. He gets caught on camera at a celebrity flag football game barely able to run. He says the hip doesn't prevent him from fighting. He gets stem cell treatment to prepare for the White House card.

March 8, 2026: UFC 326. Dana White announces the full White House card during the broadcast. Jones isn't on it. Pereira is fighting Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt instead. After the event, Dana says Jones was "never, ever, ever" in his mind for the White House card. Calls the whole thing "bullshit."

March 9, 2026: Jones fires back on social media. Says he was in "real negotiations" with the UFC. Says he came down from his original asking price and got "lowballed." Says his training camp was supposed to start that day. Requests an immediate release from his UFC contract. "If the UFC truly feels like I'm done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today."

March 23, 2026: Jones announces he's the new ambassador for IBA Bare Knuckle in Russia.

That's the timeline. Nine months from GOAT retirement to Russian bare knuckle promoter. You couldn't make this up if you tried.

What Even Is IBA Bare Knuckle?

Honestly didn't know the answer to this myself so I had to look this up.

IBA stands for International Boxing Association. And if that name sounds familiar, it should. The IBA used to be responsible for overseeing boxing at the Olympic Games. They ran amateur boxing worldwide for decades. Then in June 2023, the International Olympic Committee stripped them of that role because of, and I'm quoting the IOC here, failures in "governance, financial transparency, and the integrity of refereeing and judging."

So the organization that couldn't be trusted to run Olympic boxing fairly decided the next logical move was to launch a bare knuckle fighting promotion in Russia. They held their first event in Moscow in July 2025. They've done four events total, all in Russia. And now Jon Jones is their ambassador.

The IBA President, a guy named Umar Kremlev, apparently said that "if the UFC does not value its legend, then ours are ready to offer him a platform, respect and a place in its ecosystem." And according to reports, Jones responded by saying that "Russia had adopted him and he was now her son."

I'm going to need a minute with that one.

He's Not Fighting. But That Almost Makes It Weirder.

I want to be clear about what's actually happening here because some people saw the headline and assumed Jones was about to start bare knuckle boxing. He's not. He's still under UFC contract. He can't compete for another promotion.

What he IS doing is serving as a "permanent co-host" and brand ambassador. He shows up at events. He shakes hands. He does the promotional videos. He lends his name and his face to a bare knuckle promotion that most American fight fans have never heard of. And he gets paid for it.

Stay with me here because this is actually the part that's interesting. Jones already co-owns Dirty Boxing Championship, which is his own combat sports promotion. Yoel Romero headlined their first event. Romero is also fighting on this IBA Bare Knuckle card on Friday. So there's clearly a relationship between Jones's business ventures and the people running IBA.

But being a co-host at a Russian bare knuckle event is a long way from headlining UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. And the optics of the GOAT of MMA pivoting to Russian combat sports after the UFC refused to pay him what he wanted are, well, not great.

The Fighter Pay Angle Nobody Wants to Talk About

Real talk for a second. I know it's easy to clown this. Jones going from the White House to St. Petersburg is objectively funny. The promotional video looks like it was filmed on somebody's lunch break. The whole thing has the energy of a fighter who's making moves out of spite rather than strategy.

But underneath all of that is the same conversation we keep having on here. Fighter pay.

Jones said the UFC lowballed him for the White House card. Ariel Helwani reported that Jones wanted something similar to what he was offered to fight Aspinall the year before, and the UFC came back with a number closer to what they paid him for the Miocic fight. For a card that's supposed to be the biggest event in UFC history, at the White House, on CBS. And they couldn't agree on the money.

Rousey is blasting the UFC about pay. McGregor is in a contract dispute. Poirier got shut down by Zuffa Boxing. Parnasse turned down the UFC because the offer was 20 to 30 times less than KSW. And now the greatest fighter in UFC history is doing promotional work for a Russian bare knuckle outfit because the UFC wouldn't meet his number.

I'm not saying Jones is right about everything. Dude has a complicated history and his hip situation is a legitimate concern. But if the best fighter who has ever competed in your promotion is now lending his name to a Russian bare knuckle league because you wouldn't pay him, that's not just a Jones problem. That's a systemic problem.

What This Means for Jones's UFC Future

Honestly? Probably nothing good. The UFC almost never grants releases to fighters under contract. They held onto Ngannou for over a year during a standoff. They kept Aldo when he asked to leave. GSP had to threaten legal action before anything moved.

Jones requesting his release on March 9 was a power play, and so far the UFC hasn't budged. He's still technically under contract. He can do ambassador work and promotional appearances because those don't violate the terms of his fighter agreement, but he can't compete for another organization in MMA.

Jake Paul already offered to sign Jones to MVP. If the UFC ever does release him, there's a line of promoters ready to write checks. But that's a big "if." The UFC has historically preferred to let fighters sit on the shelf rather than let them go build value somewhere else.

So for now, the GOAT is co-hosting bare knuckle events in Russia. That's where we are. That's the state of things.

I Don't Know How to Feel About This

Look, Jon Jones is the GOAT. I've said it a hundred times. No question, no debate. What he did at light heavyweight for over a decade is unmatched. 28-1-1 and the one loss was a disqualification for an illegal elbow that he was winning anyway. Nobody has a resume like his. Nobody.

But watching him go from that to filming Instagram promos for a bare knuckle league in St. Petersburg hits different. It's not sad exactly. It's more like watching a chapter end in real time and not being sure if the next one is going to be worth reading.

He's 38 and he needs a hip replacement. The UFC doesn't want him back on terms he'll accept. The White House card is happening without him. Pereira took his spot. And now he's in Russia talking about bare knuckle boxing.

If this is how the Jon Jones story ends, it's one of the most anticlimactic finishes in combat sports history. The man who beat everyone the UFC put in front of him, who lived rent free in DC's head for a decade, who knocked out Stipe at MSG and stood on top of the heavyweight division, fading out as a brand ambassador for a promotion most people had to Google.

But if I've learned anything covering this sport, it's that you never count out Jon Jones. The dude has come back from everything. Suspensions, legal issues, a four year layoff, all of it. So maybe this is just another detour on the way to something bigger. Or maybe this really is the end. Either way, the GOAT is in Russia on Friday. And the UFC is pretending not to notice.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions About Jon Jones and IBA Bare Knuckle

Is Jon Jones fighting in bare knuckle boxing?

No. Jones is serving as brand ambassador and permanent co-host for IBA Bare Knuckle, not as a competitor. He remains under contract with the UFC, which prevents him from competing for another promotion. His role involves promotional appearances and hosting events.

What is IBA Bare Knuckle?

IBA Bare Knuckle is a bare knuckle boxing promotion launched by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in May 2025. The IBA was previously responsible for overseeing boxing at the Olympic Games but was stripped of that role by the IOC in June 2023 due to governance and transparency issues. IBA Bare Knuckle has held four events, all in Russia.

Why did Jon Jones leave the UFC?

Jones has not officially left the UFC. He requested his release from his contract on March 9, 2026 after being left off the UFC Freedom 250 White House card. Jones claimed he was in real negotiations for a fight against Alex Pereira but was "lowballed." Dana White said Jones was "never, ever" considered for the card. The UFC has not granted his release.

What is Jon Jones's UFC record?

Jon Jones has a professional MMA record of 28-1-1. He is a former UFC light heavyweight champion (two reigns) and former UFC heavyweight champion. His only loss was a disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009. His last fight was a knockout of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024.

Who is fighting on the IBA Bare Knuckle card Jones is hosting?

The main event of IBA Bare Knuckle 4 on March 28 in St. Petersburg features former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero against Vagab Vagabov. Romero has previously competed in Jones's own Dirty Boxing Championship promotion.

Does Jon Jones still want to fight in the UFC?

Jones has expressed willingness to fight if the financial terms are right. He has publicly stated he was preparing for the White House card before negotiations fell apart. He has also said he has severe arthritis in his hip but maintains it does not prevent him from competing. His current status with the UFC is unresolved.