Roy Jones Jr. and Anthony Pettis went face to face at the final press conference
Boxing Legend Jones Jr. & Former MMA Champion Pettis, Plus Fighters on Stacked PPV Undercard, Preview Gamebred Boxing 4 Event Taking Place This Saturday, April 1 from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee & Live on Pay-Per-View
Photos from Gary DeFranco/Gamebred Boxing
Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. and former UFC and WEC World Champion Anthony Pettis went face to face Thursday at the final press conference before they square off in cruiserweight action this Saturday, April 1 headlining “Gamebred Boxing 4” live on pay-per-view from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, presented by Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing.
The press conference also featured fighters on three of Saturday’s pay-per-view undercard attractions before they step into the ring for pay-per-view action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Previewing their respective showdowns were former UFC and Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort and fellow Brazilian and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who meet in a six-round heavyweight battle, all-time great UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo and former MMA foe and top UFC contender Jeremy Stephens, who battle in a six-round welterweight affair, and former UFC contender Pearl Gonzalez and mixed martial artist turned social media star Gina Mazany, who battle in a six-round featherweight showdown.
The pay-per-view telecast will also feature Milwaukee’s own undefeated former NABF Champion and rising contender Luis Feliciano taking on durable veteran Clarence Booth in an eight-round super lightweight bout, and Florida’s undefeated Devin Cushing facing Argentine veteran Damian David Marchiano in a six-round super featherweight tussle. Kicking off the pay-per-view will be a six-round heavyweight battle between MMA and Bareknuckle fighter Dillon "Bad Boy" Cleckler and Bellator MMA and fellow bareknuckle competitor Josh "The Hammer” Burns.
The pay-per-view can be purchased through InDEMAND, PPV.com and UFC Fight Pass PPV, with tickets to the live event available through FiservForum.com and Ticketmaster.com. Additional event details will be announced shortly.
Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee:
ROY JONES JR.
“It’s fun to still be able to do what I love doing. I’m looking forward to an awesome event come Saturday night.
“I challenged myself to make the 200-pound weight for this fight. You don’t want to be the guy who can’t set an example. I’ve always wanted to set a good example.
“Masvidal is promoting a fight this week and fighting next week, and there’s nobody else doing anything like that. That’s what really got my attention.
“The problem with boxing is that everyone is scared to lose. If you don’t fight the best opponent out there, then you’re just wasting time. If you want to be the best, you have to go take the test.
“I just love to fight. To be in here with an amazing group of athletes and people, I feel like I’m in heaven.
“If I show that at 54-years-old, that I can dedicate myself to a training camp and get back down to weight, that’s going to say a lot for the fighters I train. They can’t give me any more excuses.”
ANTHONY PETTIS
“It feels good to be back in Milwaukee. Last time I was here I won the UFC world title 10 years ago. To be back now fighting a legend like Roy Jones Jr. is a blessing.
“This is amazing timing to be back here fighting. It’s great to see the growth of this city and this arena. When I was fighting last time it wasn’t like this, so it’s really cool to be performing in my city.
“When I came up in this city there weren’t a lot of names coming up from here. Now we’re paving the way and we’ve made this city a hub for combat sports. It’s cool to be able to put the spotlight on them.
“I’m excited to be back in Milwaukee to perform in front of my family, friends and people who have supported me throughout my career.
“I can’t wait to fight one of the greatest of all time in boxing. This is a dream come true. The fight gods have blessed me with this one.
“Milwaukee, thank you for hosting us, I hope that everyone comes out for a great night of boxing.”
VITOR BELFORT
“This is my first time fighting on my birthday and I’m fighting a tremendous legendary fighter from Brazil. I have a lot of respect for Souza, so we trained very hard.
“My kids have really pushed me to become the best athlete in the house. We have a lot of competition in the house and it’s a privilege to be an example for them.
“I’m joyful and grateful to be here. You’re judged by the people you’ve fought. That’s what makes a fighter unique, because he can judge himself by competing against the best. It’s a privilege and a joy.”
RONALDO SOUZA
“I’m very grateful to be here. I had a very hard camp for this fight. I’m 100 percent ready for this and I’m excited to show everyone that I can box too.
“This is a great event and I’m very excited. I’m going to get in the ring and fight to win. That’s my only goal.”
JOSE ALDO
“For me it’s a pleasure to be here. This is gonna be a great fight and I’m ready. I hope everyone tunes in and enjoys this show Saturday. It’s going to be a great night.
“Since I’ve been at this weight class I’ve been training in boxing a lot for the last few years. I’m prepared for anything that happens in the ring.
“I’m very happy to be here. I’m 100 percent confident that on Saturday night I’m going to give everyone watching a great show.”
JEREMY STEPHENS
“I’m very thankful for this opportunity. This is a tremendous platform and a great opportunity. You all know who I am and what I do, so everyone should just tune in and enjoy the show.
“The fight gods have blessed us. It’s an honor to be up here with so many legends. This is a tremendous opportunity. I feel like I’m in a dream. This is the best place in the world to be right now.
“I’ve lost a lot in my career, but you’ll never learn from a win the way that you learn from a loss. The losses are brutal. But that’s what fighting is about. Picking yourself back up off the floor.
“I feel really good at this weight. I feel more fluid and I’m not holding onto as much tension. I can truly be my best self. I could make weight right now.
“I’m shutting out the emotions and sticking to my intentions. I’m here to do what I love.”
PEARL GONZALEZ
“I’m honored to be here and to be sitting next to all of these legends. I’ve dreamed of this my whole life.
“Boxing has been quite a journey for me. I’ve been on this journey for a couple of years. I’ve really been working on my boxing skills and working to become a great striker. I’m so excited to show everyone on Saturday night.
“I’m cutting weight so I can’t eat sweets, so I figured I might as well wear it. So my Aunts made me this beautiful outfit out of Fruit Roll-Ups. The hard part is done. I train hard every single day, so these are the little things I can do to lighten up the mood while I cut weight.
“I can promise one thing, I will not be taking a step backwards. I will bring this fight to Gina for every second of every round.
“I’m so honored to be here. I’m so close to my city of Chicago and I’m gonna have a big crowd of family here.
“This is an invigorating opportunity. To be here on a big stage and a new sport is a great new challenge.
“We’re gonna go toe-to-toe and find out who’s gonna be the last woman standing. I’m not backing up. We’ll see who hits harder on Saturday night.”
GINA MAZANY
“I’m grateful to be able to do what I love. I’ve worked really hard and put a lot of time into this. I’ve been fighting for over 15 years and I’m really excited for this show. It’s gonna be good.
“I’m really excited and blessed to be here. I can’t wait for my dog to come out on Saturday night.
“There’s nothing I love to do more than fight. I love to scrap. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to go toe-to-toe with Pearl.”
Watch the Press Conference Replay HERE
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