Pettis ‘Nervous’ To Fight Jones Jr., But Not ‘Afraid’

Anthony Pettis will enter unfamiliar territory tomorrow night (Sat., April 1, 2023) at Gamebred Boxing 4 live on UFC Fight Pass, PPV.com from inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when the former UFC lightweight champion makes his professional boxing debut against the legendary Roy Jones Jr.

Most know Pettis from his days as UFC lightweight champion, but “Showtime” will trade in his MMA gloves for a chance to knock off Jones Jr. The elder boxer is 54 years old and hasn’t stepped foot inside of the boxing ring since a decision win back in 2018. It will be interesting to see how Pettis does against someone like Jones considering the vast difference in both age and boxing experience.

Ahead of Saturday’s main event clash, Pettis was asked if he felt “afraid” to step inside of the boxing ring against Jones. The 16-year MMA veteran is confident in his striking skills to make his debut a memorable one, but Pettis would be lying if he wasn’t nervous about a matchup against a storied fighter like Jones Jr.

“I wouldn’t say I’m afraid, but I’m definitely nervous,” said Pettis during a recent interview with RedCorner MMA (shown below). “Nerves come in. I don’t want to mess up. There’s a lot of new stuff. Standing eight count I’ve never had the opportunity to do that. If I get rocked I have the opportunity to stand back up and get my eight count and go back to fighting. In MMA that wasn’t an option. If you get rocked that’s it you’re done. The ref stops it it’s over.

“There’s little things like that I’m thinking about. I actually had a dream that I missed weight.

Luckily for Pettis, Jones Jr., and all parties involved (including fans), we’ll find out if “Showtime” has the boxing chops to hang with “Superman” on Saturday night. If victorious, Pettis should easily lock down another fight inside of the squared circle.

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