‘They’re going to be slaves’ — Roy Jones Jr. goes nuclear on Zuffa Boxing, Dana White responds

“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.“

Wouldn’t be the first time.