Phoenix Jones

Phoenix Jones (born Benjamin John Francis Fodor; 1988) is an American real-life superhero and mixed martial artist.

Initially wearing a ski mask to intervene in a public assault, Fodor later developed a full costume and adopted "Phoenix Jones" as a pseudonym.

Ben Fodor began his amateur MMA career in December 2006.

Over the next four years, he amassed a record of 15 wins and 2 losses as an amateur.

From 2011 until its dissolution in 2014, Jones was the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, a Seattle, Washington based citizen patrol group that described itself as a crime prevention brigade.

Jones says the best way to prevent getting mistaken for a criminal by the police is to wear a "supersuit", although local police have expressed concern that the strange costumes may lead to emergency calls from citizens who mistake the "superheroes" for criminals.

Jones says that all members of the Rain City Superhero Movement have a military or mixed martial arts background.

Jones is also a mixed martial artist signed to World Series of Fighting, where he has fought at two catchweights, which included fighting his older foster brother, UFC, Strikeforce and ONE Championship fighter Caros Fodor.

Jones says he wanted to take policing matters into his own hands after a few incidents changed his mind about Seattle.

The first was when Jones says that his car was broken into and his son was injured after returning to the vehicle and falling on the broken glass.

Jones was told that several people saw the break-in happen, but did not intervene.

Later, Jones says that he encountered a friend being seriously assaulted outside a bar, and after calling 911 he put on the mask from the earlier break-in and "made a commotion" until the police showed up.

"And I thought, why didn't someone help him? There were seventy people outside that bar and no one did anything."

Jones went on to develop a full costume and pseudonym, when his crime-fighting behavior made him too recognizable.

In a CBS news broadcast, Jones is shown entering a back room of an unnamed comic book store in which he changes into costume which consists of a Dragon Skin brand bulletproof vest and stab plating, as well as equipment including a stun baton, pepper spray or tear gas, handcuffs and a first aid kit.

Jones later became part of the Rain City Superhero Movement.

In July 2011, local police recorded ten citizens patrolling the city in superhero costumes, using the names Thorn, Buster Doe, Green Reaper, The Mantis, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88, Penelope and Phoenix Jones.

An individual using the pseudonym "Red Dragon" has also claimed to be a member of the group.

When asked if he would have someone arrested for smoking cannabis, Jones said he considered it a low priority, and that he has no problem with people using drugs, but wants drug dealers to "sell somewhere else."

Jones reports being stabbed with a knife while trying to intervene with a drug dealer and a resident, damaging part of his costume which had to be repaired.

He has told police that his ballistic vest helped stop a bullet during an incident in Tacoma.

In 2011, Jones claims to have had his nose broken by an assailant while attempting to break up a fight, when one of the men pulled a gun on him while another one kicked him, breaking his nose.

This incident was never reported to police, and was treated by Jones' private doctor.

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has called Jones a "deeply misguided individual."

In October 2011, Jones was arrested for investigation of assault, after using pepper spray to break up an alleged fight.

He spent approximately seven hours in jail before posting the $3,800 bail.

No charges were filed and the case was dropped later that month.

Jones appeared in court wearing a black and gray striped shirt over his supersuit on October 13, 2011.

A court officer asked Jones to remove his mask, and he complied, putting the mask back on after the hearing.

Jones then spoke with reporters and removed his mask again to reveal his identity as Ben Fodor.

Fodor stated that he would continue patrolling the city:

"I will continue to patrol with my team, probably tonight [October 13, 2011]. In addition to being Phoenix Jones, I am also Ben Fodor, father and brother. I am just like everybody else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime in my neighborhood and everywhere else. I think I have to look toward the future and see what I can do to help the city."

Fodor made his professional MMA debut in November 2013 for the Cage Warrior Combat promotion based in his native Washington state.

Fodor is the younger foster brother of Strikeforce and UFC veteran Caros Fodor.

On March 11, 2015, it was announced that Fodor had signed an exclusive contract with World Series of Fighting.

Fodor made his debut at WSOF 20 on April 10, 2015, wanting to be known under his pseudonym "Phoenix Jones".

He faced Emmanuel Walo and lost the fight via unanimous decision, his first loss in his professional career, leaving with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.

On September 18, 2015, he rebounded with a rare headscissors submission win over Roberto Yong at World Series of Fighting 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II.

On January 9, 2020, Jones was arrested for allegedly selling Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to an undercover police officer.

At the time of his arrest, police alleged that he and his accomplice were also in possession of about 4 grams of cocaine.