Fighters First Management officially announced today that its former president Jolene Mizzone has left the company to return to the promotional side of the business. CEO Adrian Clark will continue to lead the company after a banner 2025 that saw their fighters compete on the sport’s biggest stages. "You can't replace a Jolene Mizzone,” said Clark. “She is a Hall of Famer for a reason, and she will be sorely missed here at Fighters First. When it's all said and done, Jolene Mizzone will be known as the most powerful female promoter in boxing. But we've built a great company that helps protect athletes contractually and financially. The goal is to continue building Fighters First as the leading managerial company in boxing. When you represent world-ranked fighters like Brian Norman Jr., Edwin De Los Santos, and Justin Pauldo, it makes attaining that goal easier.”
The new year for Fighters First Management will feature the ring return of ex-champion Brian Norman Jr., guided by Clark and promoter Top Rank. The former WBO welterweight champion delivered a spectacular knockout of Jin Sasaki in June. In November, he went toe-to-toe Devin Haney on the year’s biggest card, losing his title but cementing his place on the world level.
The Fighters First stable also boasts one of their newest signees, top lightweight contender Edwin De Los Santos, who recently inked co-promotional deals with Zuffa Boxing and Throwback Boxing Promotions as he intends to show why he’s the most feared fighter at 135-pounds once again in 2026.
The company also counts to its management roster Justin Pauldo, a lightweight contender who’s risen up the division on ProBox TV shows, plus 25-year-old unbeaten Dominique Francis, a recent-signee to Zuffa Boxing, and promising Dallas-area prospect Joseph Almadji.
Clark also added that in addition to building on his success putting his fighters in the best position to succeed, he will continue to preach his Fighters First mentality to the next generation of boxing managers. "I am excited for what the future holds with Fighters First. I see an avenue where I am not only representing the best fighters in the world, I am also developing the future boxing managers of tomorrow."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
MARCH 5, 2026: Former WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. has formed a new promotional company, Throwback Boxing Promotions, along with veteran boxing promoter Jolene Mizzone. They have also announced the new outfit’s first signing, Edwin De Los Santos. With the combined experience of Norman, who fought his way up the rankings from unknown to WBO champion, and Mizzone, who worked her way up in the sport while contributing to every facet of the business, Throwback Boxing Promotions will seek to put the interests of fighters ahead of all else, both inside of and outside the ring. This perspective on the often-chaotic nature of boxing promotion has the company saying that it will take a smaller percentage of fighter earnings.
“This is Throwback Boxing Promotions and that word throwback means so much to me,” said the company CEO Norman. “There are a lot of old school fighters that lost to the business of boxing and couldn’t get an opportunity to show their talents. We will be the ones that give those hidden gems their opportunity to shine. We are doing this for you.”
“When Brian asked me to come on board, we spoke a lot about the name and how we need to be different than others,” said Mizzone, who will serve as the President of Throwback Boxing Promotions. “We both decided that the way to be different is to always have the fighters’ best interest. We don’t win unless our fighters win. We take less so they can earn more – because real leadership isn’t about percentages, it’s about principles. We stand on loyalty, transparency and truly protecting fighters who trust us with their careers. We both started from the bottom and worked our way up. Why can’t others do the same?”
Norman and Mizzone have wasted no time making a splash, getting right into the thick of the business by signing De Los Santos to a co-promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. De Los Santos has scored upsets over numerous previously unbeaten fighters, including ex-champ “Rayo” Valenzuela. De Los Santos also performed well in a loss to challenge yet to undefeated four-division champion Shakur Stevenson.
With this new team at his back, De Los Santos looks forward to dominating the ring and ascending to the top of the sport in 2026. “I’m excited to work with Brian Norman Jr.,” said De Los Santos. “He has shown to be a brother in this transition. I consider myself a throwback fighter. I’ll fight the best, anywhere, anytime. The name fits who we are. Respect to Zuffa & Throwback Boxing Promotions.”
“Edwin De La Santos being the first signee of Throwback Promotions speaks volumes,” said Norman. “He is the epitome of what we represent. Rugged hard work and a strong mind. The sky's the limit for him!”
“I want to thank Edwin for having faith in us and trusting us,” said Mizzone. “He is the type of fighter that makes my job fun. He will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere! I am looking forward to this journey with him.”
