Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis was a cruiserweight professional boxing match between 4-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. and former WEC and UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis. The bout took place on April 1, 2023, at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Pettis defeated Jones Jr. via majority decision after 8 rounds.
Background
On February 6, 2023, Jorge Masvidal announced on The MMA Hour that Roy Jones Jr. would face former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in a professional boxing match on April 1, 2023. Masvidal also announced on the co-main event that former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort would be facing former Strikeforce Middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. The pair previously fought under the MMA rules set at UFC 198, where Souza won via TKO in the first round. The card also featured UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo take on fellow MMA veteran Jeremy Stephens. The pair also previously fought in MMA at UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 where Aldo would win the fight via TKO by body shot in the first round.
The event was originally planned to have a bout between former UFC and Bellator title contender Paul Daley and Anthony Taylor. However, Taylor withdrew from the bout for unknown reasons and was replaced by Markus Perez. In turn, Daley was forced to withdraw from the bout due to visa issues and was replaced by Joe Riggs on less than week's notice.
The fight marked Jones' 76th professional fight and Pettis' debut. Jones said his motivation to return to the ring was due to his long-standing desire to fight former MMA legend Anderson Silva, whom he tried to make a fight with before announcing his retirement in 2018. Jones explained that he found Pettis intriguing due to his unique and creative fighting style, acknowledging his achievements in MMA. - Pettis was training seriously and sparring with experienced boxers, notably former world champion Caleb Plant. Jones also wanted to provide Pettis with valuable boxing experience.
The fight Pettis defeated Jones via majority decision after eight-rounds, with scores of 76-76, 77-75, and 78-74. The fight was competitive and packed with action throughout. Pettis was aggressive, attempting to control the pace and keep Jones on the ropes during the opening rounds. Jones managed to use angles and counters to land point-scoring shots and occasionally gain the upper hand The fight saw high punch volume from Pettis and several exchanges where Jones skill and ring IQ shone through. Both utilised body shots and head combinations throughout. Pettis’ busier style and punch output arguably contributed to him winning on two of the three scorecards.
Post-fight, Pettis praised Jones, calling him a legend and stating it was an honor to share the ring with him. He acknowledged the challenge but was excited about his pro boxing debut and potential future bouts. Jones was gracious in defeat, noting that entertaining fans was a priority. He expressed interest in a potential rematch, stating Pettis would have gained experience from the fight.
Fight card Weight Classvs.MethodRoundTimeNotesCruiserweightAnthony Pettisdef.Roy Jones Jr.MD8HeavyweightVitor Belfortdef.Ronaldo SouzaUD6WelterweightJosé Aldovs.Jeremy Stephens6FeatherweightGina Mazanydef.Pearl Gonzalez6BantamweightBi Nguyendef.Andy NguyenUD4Super lightweightLuis Felicianodef.Clarence Booth8Super featherweightDevin Cushingdef.Damian MarchianoTKO3 (8)2:59HeavyweightDillon Kleckerdef.Josh BurnsTKO1 (6)3:00 UndercardSuper featherweightJavier Zamarrondef.Roberto Armas4 WelterweightCade Howelldef.Christopher Wingate4 LightweightDanielle Cohendef.Danielle Wynn4 CruiserweightMarkus Perezdef.Joe Riggs3 (4)1:19CruiserweightMandeep Jangra def.Ryan Reber2 (4)3:00
Purses The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.
Guaranteed base purses: Anthony Pettis ($650,000) def. Roy Jones Jr. ($700,000) Vitor Belfort ($400,000) def. Ronaldo Souza ($200,000) José Aldo ($425,000) vs. Jeremy Stephens ($200,000) Luis Feliciano ($25,000) def. Clarence Booth ($10,000) Devin Cushing ($40,000) def. Damian David Machiano ($5,000) Gina Mazany ($10,000) def. Pearl Gonzalez ($50,000) Dillon Cleckler ($40,000) def. Josh Burns ($15,000) Bi Nguyen ($15,000) def. Andy Nguyen ($5,000) Markus Perez ($15,000) def. Joe Riggs ($10,000) Mandeep Jangra ($1,000) def. Ryan Reber ($1,000) Javier Zamarron ($1,200) def. Roberto Armas ($1,000) Cade Howell ($3,500) def. Christopher Wingate ($1,500) Danielle Cohen ($2,000) def. Danielle Wynn ($1,500)
Broadcasting Country/regionBroadcasterFree to airCable/pay televisionPPV (host) rowspan="2" In DemandIn Demand & UFC Fight PassInternationally
References
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