Former UFC lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis has had a lifelong dream of competing in boxing, and now he will finally have the opportunity to realize that aspiration when he takes on Roy Jones Jr. in the main event of Gamebred Boxing 4, in Milwaukee. Pettis, who is still under contract with PFL, fell in love with boxing again while preparing for the fight with Jones Jr. He is unsure of what his future holds, and there is no decision about what his next steps will be.

Pettis is preparing himself intensely for the fight with Jones Jr by hiring the right team and spending the money on the best training available. He wants to ensure that he is both competitive and has the ability to win against one of the most talented boxers of the past half-century. While Jones is older, 54, he has had a highly accomplished career with championships across multiple divisions and 47 knockouts of his 66 professional wins.

Pettis believes that this fight is unlike anything that any MMA fighter has tried, and only Conor McGregor has had experience with competing against top-level boxers. Pettis is determined to make his mark against Jones Jr and fight like a boxer, not a MMA fighter.

Although the fight with Jones Jr is taking place at heavyweight, it is far from Pettis’s usual MMA fighting weight, which is anywhere between 145 and 170 pounds. However, Pettis says that he was already much bigger when he accepted the fight. After the last season of PFL, Pettis acknowledged that he would not be returning to lightweight and started bulking up, so when the fight came about, he was already 205 pounds, in shape and ready for anything.

Pettis recognizes that he is facing a significant challenge going up against a highly experienced boxer for his debut. However, he has put in countless hours of preparation, living a boxing lifestyle in Vegas and sparring with the best boxers to prepare him for this fight. Pettis has winning in his thoughts and comes with the intention of winning the fight rather than just competing. He is excited about the opportunity to face one of the GOATs and is taking it seriously at a level that he has never been at before.