Jorge Masvidal, one of the UFC’s biggest stars, has put together a boxing card with some legendary combat sports names.
Boxing icon Roy Jones Jr. and former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will compete in a pro boxing match April 1 in Pettis’ hometown of Milwaukee, Masvidal confirmed Monday with ESPN. The fight will act as the headliner of Gamebred Boxing 4 and is contracted for eight rounds.
“Roy is always up for any challenge,” said Dean Toole, Masvidal’s partner in his MMA and boxing promotions. “He’s in the gym sparring. He’s training fighters. This is no different for him. We still think there are several big fights left for Roy, including a possible fight with Anderson Silva.”
Masvidal first announced the card Monday on “The MMA Hour.”
On the undercard, former longtime UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will take on UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens, and MMA luminary Vitor Belfort will face longtime UFC middleweight title contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. In addition, MMA veteran knockout artist Paul Daley will take on Anthony Taylor, a Bellator veteran who is a boxing sparring partner of Jake Paul.
Masvidal will fight Gilbert Burns in the co-main event of UFC 287 on April 8, just one week after this boxing card. He said he’ll fly in on a private jet to Milwaukee, spend two or three days there and then head back to his hometown of Miami, where UFC 287 will take place. Masvidal said he and Toole spent the whole holiday season working on this event.
“I got the biggest fight of my life coming up,” Masvidal said. “But what a feeling, man. I feel blessed I can train. Every way I can make money has to do with fighting. … Some people might do pottery on the side or baking or some s—. I just do fighting, man — and more and more and more fighting.”
Masvidal also promotes MMA events, some regular and some with bare-knuckle rules.
“We don’t care what you look like,” Masvidal said. “We just care if we get a badass in there, an animal, somebody who is going to sell tickets based on their fighting. We won’t be showcasing any exhibition matches.”
Also on the Gamebred Boxing 4 card, UFC veterans Pearl Gonzalez and Gina Mazany will fight against one another, and Masvidal and Toole are high on Devin Cushing, an undefeated, 26-year-old boxer from Florida, who also will compete.