Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. is not a fan of Zuffa Boxing or the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act
, fearing the “sweet science” will soon become a soulless clone of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jones Jr., who won multiple world titles throughout his storied career, envisions a boxing future where fighters are reduced to sheep, being controlled by masters who prioritize their own best interests.“First of all, if you made the Muhammad Ali Act to save or look out for the boxers, why
would you go change it for a promoter?” Jones Jr. said in an interview with Fight Hub TV. “If [the UFC model] was that good, all the ex-UFC fighters would be talking about it, and they would be saying good things about it. They don’t. So, if you didn’t do good by your own people, what makes me think you’ll do good by mine? Yeah, you’ll come in and give a few of them a bigger bag than they’re used to getting. Spoiling a few of them because you’re trying to win your way in. But we already know what the final outcome is. Look at most of the fighters that retire from the UFC.”
That may explain why UFC fighters are constantly angling for crossover fights.
“Even the ones that come to boxing to make their real payday,” Jones Jr. added. “They built up a name in UFC, but they couldn’t make a payday. So, you want me to bring that same old thing to boxing? Why would I do that? I can’t accept it. I’m sorry. I’m not the guy who says, ‘Oh, you evil.’ I’m not gonna say all that, but I can’t accept that. My sport gives better payout to your people than your sport did, then why would I want you to change my sport? It just don’t make sense. [The new Ali act] is gonna ruin boxing, though. It’s going to ruin boxing, totally.”
This former WBC heavyweight champion argues that boxing was already ruined to begin with.
“They’re going to determine if you become that superstar,” Jones Jr. continued. “Not your skills, not your ability, not your talent. They’re gonna determine who becomes who, same as UFC. They determine who becomes who. It’s not about talent and winning no more. It’s about who they want there. That’s what they’re trying to do to boxing. I’m sorry, that’s not right, I don’t care who you are. They’re going to be basically slaves. They’re going to be owned sheep. You don’t get to decide what you wear no more, you don’t get to decide who you are no more, you have no identity. You’re basically a sheep that does what your master says to do, and that’s wrong.”
UFC contracts have often been referred to as “a pretty nice form of slavery.”
“I’m through with boxing, thank God, because if it were me, I would have moved out of the country,” Jones Jr. said. “Most of the people around are too idiotic to understand what’s really happening. They don’t understand. By the time they get it, it’s already too late. It’s almost too late now. Terence Crawford was known for being the four-belt era champ in three weight divisions. That’s going to be gone now. No chance to do that anymore, and that’s what we want in boxing? So we’re gonna kill the history to make it look like the UFC? Man, get out of here with that.”
On a related note, Jones Jr. became a Russian citizen back in Sept. 2015.
“When Roy says something like, ‘You’ve gotta kiss their ass to do this and that,’ I think that if you asked any of the fighters, they would tell you that we treat them very well, treat them like professional athletes, and any of the interactions that I’ve had have been nothing but respectful,” White said at the Zuffa Boxing post-fight press conference. “I don’t know where that’s coming from, but I do like Roy, and everybody’s entitled to their opinions. When you come into a business and you start to cause disruption, you’re gonna ruffle some feathers.“
