One of the most legendary boxers of all time, Roy Jones Jr. wants to have a go at MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko.
The former four-division boxing world champion discussed his interest in an interview with Tass.ru.
“Yes, such a fight is possible as an exhibition.”
“We have already somehow negotiated on this subject, but they have not been confirmed.”
Jones officially retired a while ago but had his last exhibition was back in 2020 against Mike Tyson.
Retired legends boxed for a complete 8 rounds. The match had no result, considering there was no TKO.
As for Fedor, he is scheduled to retire from MMA after he takes on Bellator champion Ryan Bader next month.
The bout will headline Bellator 290.
Prior to Bellator 290, the two faced each other at Bellator 214. Back then, Bader got the victory and became Bellator’s heavyweight champion.
Fedor Emelianenko just been put to sleep in seconds by Ryan Bader☠️ https://t.co/ktbbd6gWCH
— Gary William® (@_GaryWilliam_) January 27, 2019
Exhibition events have started gaining immense popularity among retired combat sports athletes.
It is an excellent way to make money other than brand deals and sponsors after retirement.
Over the past few years, multiple big exhibition events have taken place.
Roy Jones Jr. is 53 years old, his record consists of 66 wins 9 losses. Fedor Emelianenko is 46 years old and has been active in MMA since 2000. His MMA record consists of 40 wins 6 losses and 1 no contest. Emelianenko comes from a sambo/judo background and was never considered a striker first although he had 16 wins via KO/TKO.
There were rumblings of an exhibition between the two back in November of 2021. At that time, Emelianenko was quoted saying:
“I have great respect for him as an athlete, a person, like a legend,” Emelianenko said to Tass. “He is one of the most outstanding boxers in the world of all time. Of course, it would be a great honor for me to perform in such a fight. I am interested in such fights. There are a few things we need to do—we need a promotion that is ready to organize such a fight. We also need to discuss the terms.
“We probably will not fully commit to strikes. But even without committing to punches, Roy can show everything he is capable of. Hopefully, I won’t pale in comparison.
“We now have the wind blowing in different directions. I think that this fight will be interesting for many. But there are many pitfalls, including many people who will take it negatively.”