Gamebred Boxing 4 is in the books, and it looks like the card was a smashing success. Well, at least from one angle anyway. There’s no news as to just how many viewers the upstart combat sports venture might have captured via its UFC Fight Pass iPPV broadcast, but the fighters came out with their pockets well lined. Former boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. and ex-UFC champ Anthony Pettis took come a combined $1.35 million for their main event bout. MMA Junkie reported the payouts via figures from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, with total event purses of $2,827,700.
The fight marked the the first time donning a pair of boxing gloves in an officially sanctioned event for Pettis, whose striking exploits had been kept purely to MMA up until this point. The 36-year-old acquitted himself decently over eight rounds, despite the debut pressure, walking away with a majority decision victory for his efforts.
For Jones, the bout marked the first officially sanctioned competition for the now 54-year-old since retiring from boxing back in 2018. Roy Jones Jr. did have an exhibition match against fellow pugilistic legend Mike Tyson at a Triller promoted event in 2020. While that bout wasn’t officially recorded by the athletic commission, the WBC scored the fight a split draw.
Belfort took home a $400k payday in Gamebred Boxing 4 co-main event
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort also got in on the MMA/boxing crossover action at Gamebred Boxing 4, with a fight against former Strikeforce champ and longtime UFC contender Jacare Souza.
The bout marked Belfort’s first official boxing match since a win over Josemario Neves on the Brazilian regional scene back in 2006. The ‘Phenom’ did also win an exhibition bout over Evander Holyfield at a Triller boxing card in 2021, with a first round TKO over the clearly diminished former heavyweight champion.
Much like Pettis, this fight announced Jacare Souza’s first time competing in any kind of officially sanctioned pure-striking match. The 43-year-old first rose to prominence as a world class competitor on the BJJ circuit, winning multiple titles between 2004-2005 before moving over to life as a full-time MMA fighter.
Souza fought out his UFC contract back in 2021, with four straight losses, the last of which came via submission to Andre Muniz at UFC 262—the first time in the 4th degree black belt’s MMA career that he had ever been submitted. After the bout, Souza announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. For his boxing debut against Belfort, Souza reportedly netted $200,000.
Jose Aldo picks up $425,000 in draw to Jeremy Stephens
The other big, notable fight on the card was a rematch of a 2018 UFC featherweight bout between former champion Jose Aldo and longtime action-fight stalwart Jeremy ‘Lil’ Heathen’ Stephens. In their single MMA bout, Aldo ended Stephens night via a brutal hook to the body in round 1. Stephens protested the TKO at the time, but couldn’t bargain his way into a rematch.
Following an extended run in the bantamweight division between 2019-2022, Aldo announced that he was retiring from MMA competition on the heels of a loss to Merab Dvalishvili. The ‘King of Rio’ had been pursuing one last title run, but that defeat essentially ended his chances for another piece of UFC hardware. Although still under contract with the Endeavor-owned promotion, the UFC has apparently granted the 36-year-old the right to pursue other combat sports endeavors outside of MMA.
For Stephens, it feels like something of a shock that this represents the first time the Iowa native has ever competed in the boxing ring. Noted for his power punching and love of brawling, Stephens exited the UFC in 2021, on the back of a six-fight winless streak. A signing with the PFL followed shortly afterward, but the Alliance MMA talent is just 1-2 competing under his new home turf. Despite his recent struggles, Stephens netted $200,000 on his way to a draw against the former featherweight king.
Complete payouts for Gamebred Boxing 4: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis
- Anthony Pettis – $650,000
- Roy Jones Jr. – $700,000
- Vitor Belfort – $400,000
- Jacare Souza – $200,000
- Jose Aldo – $425,000
- Jeremy Stephens – $200,000
- Luis Feliciano – $25,000
- Clarence Booth – $10,000
- Devin Cushing – $40,000
- Damian David Marchiano – $5,000
- Gina Mazany – $10,000
- Pearl Gonzalez – $50,000
- Dillon Cleckler – $40,000
- Josh Burns – $15,000
- Bi Nguyen – $15,000
- Andy Nguyen – $5,000
- Markus Perez – $15,000
- Joe Riggs – $10,000
- Mandeep Jangra – $1,000
- Ryan Reber – $1,000
- Javier Zamarron – $1,200
- Roberto Armas $1,000
- Cade Howell – $3,500
- Christopher Wingate – $1,500
- Danielle Cohen – $2,000 ($1,000|$1,000 show|win)
- Danielle Wynn – $1,500
Note: These numbers do not include any sponsorship agreements, side letter agreements, bonus payments, or PPV points. Nor do they include any taxes, fees, coaching or management percentages that fighters may have to pay off the top of their reported fight purses. These numbers purely represent the agreed, guaranteed fight purses paid by the promoter to the athletes as reported to regulatory officials.
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