BATON ROUGE — Former UFC champion Jon Jones has joined the ownership team of a new Baton Rouge location of Prince St. Pizza, a New York City-born pizzeria expanding to Louisiana.

Jones, a former professional mixed martial artist, built a career in the UFC defined by record-setting performances and championship success. Known for becoming the youngest UFC champion at 23, Jones held multiple titles during his tenure. Jones retired from professional fighting in 2025. 

The partnership comes ahead of the anticipated opening of the new Baton Rouge location in early fall. Prince St. Pizza, known for its Sicilian-style square pies and signature pepperoni-loaded slices, currently operates 18 pizzerias across the nation, mostly in California.

"Jon brings a level of passion and authenticity that made this partnership feel natural from the start," said Lawrence Kourie, development partner at Prince St. Pizza. "He connected with what we are building because he genuinely loves the food and understands how powerful a brand can become when people discover authentic experiences that keep them coming back."

Jones is expected to attend the grand opening of the restaurant in the fall.

"I've spent a lot of time around teams and organizations that set a high standard for what they do, and I saw that same mindset here," said Jones. "The product speaks for itself, but what stood out to me was the energy around the people and the experience they are creating. Lawrence has built something special, and being even a small part of bringing this to Baton Rouge felt like an opportunity I wanted to be involved in from day one."