It has been reported that a boxing match between Roy Jones and former UFC star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is in the works and is close to being finalized, potentially as part of a Bellator pay-per-view event planned to go up against UFC 168 on December 28.
Jones, the former pound for pound kingpin and perhaps the best fighter of his generation, should be able to handle Rampage Jackson in the squared circle with ease as Jackson has never fought professionally as a boxer. Still, this is not the reverse equivalent of boxer James Toney fighting Randy Couture in the Octagon. Far from it.
In the case of Couture vs. Toney, a fighter with no experience with wrestling, Muay Thai or any other mixed martial arts discipline beyond boxing took on a UFC legend who was still very much highly regarded as one of the better fighters in his division. Couture trounced Toney in an embarrassing fight the UFC should never have been a part of.
With Roy Jones vs. Rampage Jackson, an MMA fighter who was well known for his boxing and striking within the cage is taking on a legendary boxer whose fall from grace has been more brutal than most. Not only is Jones not near his best, and not near the top of his division, he’s a faded shell of what he once was, and a liability to get knocked out anytime he steps through the ropes.
Nevertheless, even compared to a faded shell of Roy Jones, the boxing skills of Rampage Jackson will seem amateurish. He’ll certainly have the power to dent the fragile chin of Jones, but Roy should be able to pick him apart and bust him up before any such thing could happen.
Roy Jones had previously been in talks with the UFC about fighting Anderson Silva in a boxing bout as well.
