Amari Jones may still be in the queue for his first title shot, but his success has netted him his first major main event.

Jones, the unbeaten middleweight promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, has landed a May 22 DAZN main event at San Jose’s SAP Center versus Vincenzo Gualtieri.

The Bay Area spot represents a sort of homecoming for Oakland’s Jones 16-0 (14 KOs), a promising 23-year-old coming off a February 21 fourth-round stoppage of former world-title challenger Luis Arias in Las Vegas.

“It’s a different kind of energy when I’m home,” Jones said in a prepared statement. “Different pressures, but they say pressure makes diamonds. On May 22, you’re going to see me shine.”

With tickets going on sale Friday, the card will also feature unbeaten cruiserweight Robin Safar 19-0 (13 KOs) in a 12-round bout against an opponent yet to be finalized.

Safar was in talks for a title shot at Golden Boy’s unified champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, but Safar suffered an injury in a 2025 bout and couldn’t heal in time.

As for Jones, who’s ranked No. 4 among IBF middleweights, he is waiting to see what transpires in negotiations between No. 2 Etinosa Oliha and No. 3 Aaron McKenna for a title fight that follows the March stripping of former unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who tested positive for a PED.

An IBF spokesperson said Oliha and McKenna have agreed to fight and have until April 30 to agree terms. If either were to withdraw, Jones would be next in line.

In the interim, he’s fighting former IBF champion and the current No. 5-rated Gualtieri, who lost his belt to Alimkhanuly in 2023.

Germany’s Gualtieri 25-1-1 (8KOs) has fought four times since, winning three of the bouts by unanimous decision.

“My goal is to become world champion again,” Gualtieri said. “I’m looking forward to this fight because it gives me that opportunity. I will give everything to achieve this goal again, for my family and for myself.”

De La Hoya is enthused to create a hometown bout for Jones.

“It’s been nearly 20 years since we’ve brought Golden Boy to the Bay Area, and we’re coming back with a stacked show,” De La Hoya said. “With one of our must-watch fighters, Amari Jones, headlining against former world champion Vincenzo Gualtieri, this is a fight where the pressure is on both men to show up and deliver to fight fans.”