Roy Jones Jr.'s promotional company and the UFC announced a deal on Friday under which UFC's Fight Pass service will stream Jones' boxing cards over the next three years.
UFC Fight Pass will stream up to 72 Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions events through 2021, according to the announcement.
The first event will stream live on Jan. 31 (10 p.m. ET) from the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, California, which is on the outskirts of San Diego.
The card will be headlined by the previously announced junior bantamweight world title elimination fight between the Jones-promoted Aston Palicte (24-2-1, 20 KOs), 27, of the Philippines, and the Miguel Cotto-promoted Jose Martinez (20-0-2, 13 KOs), 26, of Puerto Rico. The winner will earn a mandatory title fight against the winner of the vacant 115-pound title bout between the Philippines' Donnie Nietes (41-1-5, 23 KOs) and Kazuto Ioka (23-1, 13 KOs), of Japan, who are scheduled to fight on Monday in Macau, China.
Jones, the former longtime pound-for-pound king who won world titles in four weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight, and partner Keith Veltre formed the Las Vegas-based Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions three years ago, and they have put on shows regularly but with sporadic television coverage. The new deal with UFC ensures regular exposure for their events.
"I was elated when my partner, Keith Veltre, told me he had started talking with UFC," Jones said. "This is just the beginning stages of a long, lucrative partnership between these two brands."
Said Veltre, who runs the company's day-to-day business: "I couldn't be happier to bring together the biggest name in boxing, Roy Jones, with the biggest name in combat sports, UFC. I love that the UFC is allowing us to be creative, so expect to see prospects, tournaments, title fights and more in this series."
For several years Jones has had a friendly relationship with UFC president Dana White, who streamed the final fight of Jones' career on UFC Fight Pass, a 10-round decision win against Scott Sigmon in Jones' hometown of Pensacola, Florida, on Feb. 8.
"Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions will give us competitive, compelling fights to stream to our Fight Pass subscribers around the world," White said. "This agreement allows us to enhance our roster of combat sports while partnering with one of the legendary fighters of all time."