"March Badness", the combined boxing and mixed martial arts show promoted by Roy Jones Jr., is underway. The event took place on Saturday night in Pensacola, Florida. The main card of the hybrid boxing/mixed martial arts event was broadcast live on pay-per-view.

In the main event of the night, the event's promoter Roy Jones Jr. defeated Omar Sheika in a light heavyweight bout to win vacant NABO Light Heavyweight title.

In MMA action, former UFC heavyweight title contender Jeff Monson defeated former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson. Nelson seemed to have earned the victory but the judges saw it different as Monson was awarded the controversial decision win. Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (picture) defeated Jason Guida. Lashley put on a very lackluster performance in a unanimous decision win. Former UFC lightweight Din Thomas impressed the crowd by defeating Gabe Lemley by TKO in a featherweight bout. 12-year veteran Dennis "Superman" Hallman also competed on the card, as the very savvy veteran defeated Danny Riaz by a rear naked choke tap out.

Below are the official results for "March Badness" event:

MMA results:

• Jeff Monson def. Roy Nelson by unanimous decision

• Bobby Lashley def. Jason Guida by unanimous decision

• Din Thomas def. Gabe Lemley by TKO (strikes) at 4:13 of Round 1

• Dennis Hallman def. Danny Ruiz by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:50 of Round 1

• James Freeman def. John Mowry by KO (punch) at 2:38 of Round 1

Boxing results:

• NABO Light Heavyweight Championship: Roy Jones Jr. def. Omar Sheika by TKO at 1:45 of Round 5

• NABO Cruiserweight Championship: BJ Flores def. Jose Luis Herrera by unanimous decision

• Eric Clinton def. Richmond Dalphone by unanimous decision

• Kieyon Bussey def. Robert DaLuz by split decision

• Kelvin Price def. Kevin Howard by split decision

Eight-time world boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. is moving into mixed martial arts, albeit on the promotional side of things.

His Square Ring Promotions will put on "March Badness", a mixed boxing/MMA card on March 21 at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. A light heavyweight boxing match between Jones (52-5) and Omar Sheika (27-8) will be the main event, Jones said at a news conference Wednesday at the venue, where the show will be broadcast live on pay-per-view for a price tag of $29.95.

In an interview, Jones said he decided to test the waters of MMA promotions "because I respect all kinds of fighters. People are always saying, 'Boxing this, MMA that.' But both of those are hand-to-hand combat man-to-man. Anyone who will fight another man straight up like that, I got nothing but the utmost respect for."

"So to cure the stigma that we don't like MMA or that we're against it, to prove my point, I'm going to start promoting them too," Jones said. "And they have a huge fan base too. They love fighting. Boxing. Ultimate fighting. It's all still fighting."

Jones said he does not understand the boxing-versus-MMA mentality.

"Why do people keep trying to pull us apart?" he asked. "Why not come together and make for an even bigger situation and make it better for both sports? MMA has something that boxing doesn't have, which boxing needs to acknowledge."

Jones said he believes the audience is there for a promotion combining boxing matches with MMA fights.

"I know there is because a lot of times, the only time people get disappointed in MMA cards is when they don't give them enough rounds," he said. "In boxing, you always get enough rounds or a little more than you really want. So how about mixing the two and make it good for everybody? You get enough rounds, plus you get enough action too."

Jones said the boxing skills of several MMA fighters are good enough for them to compete against professional boxers.

"Some of them can," he said. "But you have to remember, not all of them have a boxing background. But boxing is only one of the components that make up MMA. You have to be good at at least two components: either boxing, either wrestling, or some form of jiu-jitsu or something like that."

One such MMA fighter whose boxing skills Jones respects is UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who has said he would like to fight with Jones.

Jones said he would relish the fight.

"That would be a wonderful fight," he said. "He is a good fighter and a good boxer and he's quick and he's tall and he's left-handed. So he's the kind of guy that really, in boxing, creates a problem for me."

Jones said the UFC should allow Silva to fight him.

"They won't, but why not allow us to come together?" Jones asked. "That's a fight the people would like to see."

Jones said the "March Badness" undercard will feature three MMA bouts: Seth Petruzelli (10-4-0) vs. former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Doug Marshall (9-3-0) in a light heavyweight fight, Roy Nelson (13-3-0) vs. Jeff Monson (27-8-0) in a heavyweight fight and former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley against an as-yet unnamed opponent. Petruzelli will be fighting for the first time since his spectacular 14-second TKO victory against Kimbo Slice at Elite XC: Heat last October 4.

In another boxing match on the card, IBF No. 2-ranked cruiserweight BJ Flores (22-0-1) will fight another as-yet unnamed opponent.

Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley won his mixed martial arts debut Saturday night at Mixed Fighting Alliance's inaugural show "There Will Be Blood" at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

Lashley took down and rained down right hands against fellow MMA newcomer Joshua Franklin, opening a cut that led to the fight being stopped 41 seconds into the fight.

Lashley, who trains with the American Top Team, is a former National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Wrestling Champion.

In the main event of the card, ten-year MMA veteran Jeff "The Snowman" Monson avenged a TKO loss to Ricco Rodriguez from UFC 35: Throwdown in 2002 by winning a unanimous decision against the former UFC Heavyweight Champion.