Anthony Pettis spoils Roy Jones Jr.'s boxing return with decision win

Boxing great Roy Jones Jr. came up short in his first professional match in over five years.

Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis stunned Jones via majority decision (76-76, 77-75, 78-74) in the Gamebred Boxing 4 main event on Saturday night in Milwaukee.

The eight-round cruiserweight bout was competitive and some pundits thought Jones did enough to win with the fighters trading punches throughout the 24 minutes. Pettis was a bit busier than Jones in the first half of the fight, and then Jones turned up his offense in the final few rounds. But it wasn't enough.

After the fight, Pettis and Jones both said they would be interested in a rematch.

Pettis was making his pro boxing debut and now sits at 1-0. The 36-year-old MMA fighter had last competed in August, coming up short against Stevie Ray in the PFL playoffs. He left the UFC as a free agent following a win in late 2020 but disappointed in two seasons with the PFL, one of the leading MMA promotions.

Pettis, a Milwaukee native, held the UFC lightweight title from 2013-15.

Jones stepped into the ring for the first time since fighting heavyweight legend Mike Tyson to a draw in a 2020 exhibition bout, and for the first time as a pro since beating Scott Sigmon in February 2018.

Jones, 54, made his pro boxing debut in 1989 and held world titles in four weight classes.