For the first time since 2018, Roy Jones Jr. will step inside the ring for a professional boxing fight. The former four-weight world champion main events Gamebred Boxing 4, a Jorge Masvidal-led promotion, facing former MMA champion Anthony Pettis on April 1.
The fight takes place at the Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin and will air on UFC Fight Pass PPV. It will feature several MMA fighters competing in boxing bouts, from Jose Aldo, Paul Daley, Vitor Belfort, Pearl Gonzalez, and Jeremy Stephens.
A 1988 silver medalist at the Seoul Olympics, Jones won professional gold at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Supremely gifted and unorthodox, the Pensacola beat the likes of Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Virgil Hill, Antonio Tarver, and John Ruiz, ending his Hall of Fame career on a four-fight win streak.
Jones did return to the sport in 2020, facing Mike Tyson in a super-hyped exhibition bout, and also teased the possibility of facing a UFC legend.
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“When I was still at where I thought was pretty good, I wanted to fight Anderson Silva, but it just kept getting pushed to the side, pushed to the side, pushed to the side,” Jones stated via BJ Penn. “It never happened, so I was kind of dead on all of it. I was through with boxing. I was like, ‘Nah, I’m done, I shouldn’t fight no more. I’m 54 years old.’ Then they said, ‘You know, one of the greatest ever at 155 said he’d come up in weight to fight you, and you don’t have to come lower than 200.’ It sounded kind of intriguing.”
An MMA fighter that turned pro in 2007, Pettis became WEC lightweight champion in 2010. He joined the UFC that year and won the UFC lightweight title in 2013 against Benson Henderson, the same man he beat for the WEC title. Going 11-9 with the promotion, Pettis joined the PFL in 2021. He is 1-4 for the tournament-ran promotion and last fought in August 2022.
Primarily fighting around 146-155 pounds, Pettis has bulked up to 200, as the fight will be an eight-round cruiserweight bout. Making his boxing debut, Pettis is not taking the older Jones lightly.
“I’m sparring bigger guys to feel that pressure he’s going to bring,” Pettis said via MMA Junkie. “That’s why it’s the fight game. I’m going to go in there and use my smarts. I’m going to use my skills that I’ve accumulated over these last couple years and go out there and try to put it on him.”
"It’s just straight boxing now. Like Roy Jones said, I’m finding the best boxers I can spar with. I’m living in Vegas. I’ve got access to great, great sparring partners here. There’s one sparring right now in front of me. I’m living this lifestyle. I went and got motivated to box. How can you not, fighting one of the GOATS? Y’all must’ve forgot. That’s one of the things I’ve known since I was a kid, man. I’m taking it serious. I come to win fights, and this is a whole different world than I’ve been in at this level. The sparring I’m getting is preparing me for it. I’m ready.”
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Here is all you need to know about Gamebred Boxing 4, from the date, card, cost, and more.
When is Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis?
- Date: Saturday: April 1 | Sunday, April 2
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT
- Main event: 11:30 p.m. ET | 3:30 a.m. GMT | 2:30 p.m. ET (approx.)
Gamebred Boxing 4 takes place on April 1. The event starts at 8 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT. Jones and Pettis should make their way to the ring around 11:30 p.m. ET | 3:30 a.m. GMT | 2:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States/ Canada | Sat. April 1 | UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. April 2 | TBA |
| Australia | Sun. April 2 | TBA |
Gamebred Boxing 4 will air on UFC Fight Pass.
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Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis PPV price: How much does Gamebred Boxing 4 cost?
49.99
The event will cost $49.99 on PPV, traditional cable and satellite providers, and digitally through multiple outlets.
Where is Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis?
Jones vs. Pettis takes place inside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Home to the Milwaukee Bucks, the arena can hold up to 18,000+ people.
How much do tickets for Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis cost?
Tickets for Gamebred Boxing 4 start at $88 per TicketSmarter.
Prices then range from $100, $200, $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $900, and $1,387.
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Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis fight card
- Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis
- Jose Aldo vs. Jeremy Stephens
- Vitor Belfort vs. Ronaldo Souza
- Pearl Gonzalez vs. Gina Mazany
- Josh Burns vs. Dillon Cleckler
- Bi Nguyen vs. Emily Whitmire
- Devin Cushing vs. Damian David Marchiano
- Paul Daley vs. Markus Perez
- Luis Feliciano vs. Clarence Booth
- Roberto Armas vs. Javier Zamarron
- Danielle Cohen vs. Danielle Wynn