Boxing champion James Toney is headed to mixed martial arts after the 1991 and 2003 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC on Wednesday.
The signing was first reported by FiveOuncesofPain.com, and confirmed to MMAFighting.com's Mike Chiappetta by UFC president Dana White, as well.
Toney's signing marks the first time a high profile boxer has been featured in the UFC since Zuffa, LLC took over ownership. Other professional boxers have made the move into MMA in the past with extremely mixed results.
During his boxing career, Toney amassed a record of 72-6-3, with 44 knockouts, while winning titles in several different weight classes.
White has been open to the idea of signing Toney, but the two have gone back and forth over the last few months with the boxer stating that financially there were issues with him signing on to compete in the Octagon.
It obviously appears that whatever negotiation blockades previously hindered the deal have been lifted, and the 41-year-old Toney will look to revive his combat sports career in the UFC.
Controversy has followed Toney in his career. The boxer has twice tested positive for illegal substances following his fights. In 2005, Toney tested positive for steroids by the New York Athletic Commission, and again in 2007 by the California State Athletic Commission. Both resulted in Toney's suspension from the sport.
There has been no official word about when Toney may make his UFC debut, and at this time there's been no confirmation where the boxer will do his MMA training to prepare for his first fight. Rumor has it he's been working with Juanitio Ibarra for a while now but again, no official word yet.
