Roy Levesta Jones, Jr. vs. Anthony Paul Pettis

April Fool's Day - but this actually isn't, at least in a literal sense, a joke. Eight rounds scheduled at cruiserweight.

RJJ is a nine time world titlist, having collected a championship belt in four divisions (middleweight, super middle, light heavy, and heavyweight). His professional boxing record stands at 66-9 with 47 victories by stoppage for a total of 75 bouts. That is 75 more than his opponent, as Pettis - a former UFC lightweight champion in MMA - will be making his pro debut here. His record in MMA was 25-14, with 11 kayos.

The card is promoted by another MMA veteran Jorge Masvidal, and also features the professional boxing debut of another UFC guy in former featherweight titlist José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior (Aldo and Pettis both being alumni of World Extreme Cagefighting, and the WEC's final featherweight & lightweight champs respectively) as wel as Ronaldo Souza vs. Vítor Vieira Belfort in a rematch of sorts of their MMA match at UFC 198 in 2016.

Jones has an inch of height and 1½" of reach on Pettis. He is also giving up eighteen years of "youth advantage".

This whole thing is going to be hilarious and awful. I hope there's a way to watch it.

 

He's literally old enough to have an 18 year old grandson conceived by a son when they were themselves 18 who in turn was conceived by Roy when he was 18. He's lapping triple adulthood. Still prizefighting.


Hell, even "Popkins" had the sense to call it quits ahead of his 52nd birthday. RJJ is now two years beyond his.

 

True, but there are so many other ways he could parlay his personal brand and name into making a living connected with the sport. Promoter, coach or commentator - hell, Roy has actually dabbled in all three. Just wants the instant gratification of a big purse (nowhere close to as big as in his pomp, but still probably eclipsing any single paycheck from those other gigs) or maybe he is addicted to hearing the roar of the crowd, but damn...if he becomes a vegetable there goes his ability to earn ****.

 

He was pretty much a career 155lber?

So in terms of body frame they're not all that dissimilar. Neither is a natural cruiser.

 

Were all that many fans really even clamoring for a card of washed up mixed martial artists trying their hand at the sweet science?

Chance of Masvidal making a profit here seems slim to none.

 

I don't understand why they don't just settle their beef in their own sport.

Doesn't it being a boxing match give the loser a built-in excuse to dismiss it?

 

I guess but how many asses is that really putting in seats?

Just looked up the venue, FiServ Forum has a capacity of 17.5k, no way this comes close to selling out.

Hell, that exhibition between Tyson & Jones a few years ago drew only 6k.