Two-division Cage Warriors champion Mason Jones signs with UFC

The UFC’s Welsh contingent just got a little bigger with the addition of two-division Cage Warriors champion Mason Jones.

Lightweight and welterweight champion Jones (10-0) took to Instagram to share the news that earlier in the month he had put pen to paper on a four-fight deal with the UFC.

“Friday October 9th I signed a 4 fight contract with UFC, the biggest and best MMA organization in the world,” he wrote. “The moment when my dream became a reality. Big thanks to my coaching team and Graham Boylan for everything.”

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Friday October 9th I signed a 4 fight contract with @ufc the biggest & best mma organisation in the world. The moment when my dream became a reality Big thanks to my coaching team & @graham_boylan for everything

A post shared by Mason Jones (@masonjones95) on Oct 18, 2020 at 9:03am PDT

Jones, who has fought all bar one of his 10 career fights under the Cage Warriors banner, defeated Northern Ireland’s Joe McColgan to capture the promotion’s vacant lightweight title at Cage Warriors 113 in March, then became a two-division champion with the addition of the vacant welterweight title with victory over Adam Proctor at Cage Warriors 116 in September. Both victories came via TKO inside the first round.

After his win against Proctor, Jones sent a message to the UFC’s higher-ups in his post-fight interview as he vowed to make an impact in the promotion’s lightweight division.

“I asked Graham (Boylan, Cage Warriors president) and I asked Ian (Dean, Cage Warriors matchmaker) to dig up the biggest monster they could find and, unfortunately, it’s not enough,” he said. “So I’ve got a challenge for Dana White, for Sean Shelby, for anyone in the UFC looking. I’ll be ready to go in a week, in two weeks, in four. Find the biggest, deadliest lightweight monster you can find – because I’m a lightweight guy – and I’ll go out there and dismantle them. Dig me up the biggest monster you can find, and I’ll put them away in two.”

The UFC contract came just 13 days later, and now Jones will get the chance to back up his promise as he joins the UFC’s stacked lightweight division. He also joins fellow Welsh fighters Jack Shore, Jack Marshman, John Phillips, and Cory McKenna on the UFC roster.