Roy Jones Jr. is angling for a fight against one of the greatest heavyweight in mixed martial arts history.
The former four-division world champion recently revealing his interest in pursuing an exhibition bout against Fedor Emelianenko.
“Yes, such a fight is possible as an exhibition,” Jones, 53, told Tass.ru. “We have already somehow negotiated on this subject, but they have not been confirmed.”
Jones, who holds dual American and Russian citizenship, has not fought since his exhibition bout against Mike Tyson in November 2020. The fight lasted the full 8 rounds, and was declared a draw.
Meanwhile, Emelianenko, 46, is scheduled to take headline Bellator 290 next month in a retirement bout against Ryan Bader. The two previously competed at Bellator 214, where Bader defeated Emelianenko in the heavyweight Grand Prix final to become the organization’s heavyweight champion.
Exhibition bouts have become a popular way for boxers to continue to perform and earn a living following their professional retirement. Floyd Mayweather has competed in several such bouts since his final professional bout in 2017 against Conor McGregor, including a 2020 fight against internet sensation Logan Paul. Most recently, Mayweather defeated YouTuber Deji Olatunji, the younger brother of KSI, in an exhibition bout in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Though it remains unclear whether such a fight will ever come to fruition, a potential contest pitting Jones Jr. and Emelianenko would be a rare opportunity to see one of the greatest boxers of all time challenge one of the greatest MMA heavyweights of all time.
I think that such a fight is possible,” Jones said.
