Roy Jones Jr. is returning to the ring at the age of 54-years-old. His opponent, a former UFC champion, Anthony Pettis, who will be making his professional boxing debut.
Gamebred Boxing, Jorge Masvidal and Dean Toole’s upstart boxing promotion, will put forth their most high-profile card yet, this weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The card which will feature a slew of famous MMA fighters including Jose Aldo, Pearl Gonzalez, Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza, and various other stars, from the Fiserv Forum, and broadcast on UFC Fight Pass pay-per-view.
For those unaware, Anthony Pettis was a lightweight world champion in the UFC. The lightweight limit though is 155 lbs, as opposed to 135 lbs in boxing. Pettis best known for a kick in which he jumped off the kick and landed a thudding kick to Benson Henderson’s head, which is now known as “the showtime kick”. In many ways, it is an iconic MMA moment, not unlike when Roy Jones Jr. put his hands behind his back and knocked out Glen Kelly.
“[Pettis] is very innovative in what he does, too. He’s done things in the MMA ring that nobody else won’t ever do. For me to get the opportunity to face somebody who has that same type of creative mind in their own respective sport as I have in boxing,” said Roy Jones Jr. paying homage to Pettis’ achievements. “Like, have [I] ever fought in Milwaukee before? No. So I guess the pros outweighed the nos. So here we are.”
Yet, despite Roy Jones Jr., returning to the ring, this is simply unfinished business for Jones Jr. This is an unfinished dream he stated he wanted to do way back in 2009, and now is able to fulfill years layer. As far as the legend is concerned this is a one time thing.
“I’m not planning on doing it again, no. Only for Anthony, I’m doing this. Anthony wanted to change and try to cross over into this sport,” said Jones Jr. “It’s a good situation, it’s pay-per-view, it’s something I wanted to do, which was a crossover fight with a good name in MMA. I was the first one that came up with that idea and I didn’t get to do it, but I came up with the idea.”
