Anderson Silva, the UFC Middleweight Champion, cannot seem to let the idea of fighting Roy Jones Jr. slip his mind.
The idea was cultivated by Silva and his manager Ed Soares after his submission victory over Dan Henderson at UFC 82.
Preliminary talks ensued between Silva’s camp and Don King Productions, who represents Roy Jones Jr.
The proposal was to challenge Jones Jr. to a boxing match, under boxing rules, somewhere between 180 and 188 pounds. The motivation for Silva was simple and included fighting one of his heroes, proving MMA fighters are technical, and for a large pay day.
Jones Jr. was open to fighting Silva, however, Dana White and company held the trump card in the form of Silva’s exclusive contract with the UFC.
The trump card was recently played by UFC management and they dismissed the idea of this boxing match ever taking form.
Regardless, Silva remains steadfast in his attempt to turn this fight into a reality. This was evident during an interview he did as soon as last week with Eduardo Ferreira of www.fatame.com.
When Silva was asked about his immediate future he stated, “I don’t have a bout scheduled and we are trying to make this fight against Roy Jones Jr. This is a personal wish.”
Silva’s comments come on the heels of the UFC management’s decision to not pursue the fight, but he seems to not be willing to let it go.
Who can blame Dana White and company for squashing this spectacle? The UFC management would be foolish to get behind this.
The fight could prove more harm than good for the UFC. Silva, arguably their best fighter, could be beaten to a pulp by Jones Jr. for millions of fight fans to see.
He could also be permanently injured and not able to fulfill his obligations with the UFC. There is essentially no benefit for the UFC.
Personally, I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize this is a bad idea. Ever since the UFC’s popularity has grown over the past few years there has been a boxing vs. MMA undertone fabricated by fans and media.
We don’t need to actually see this battle come to life. The truth of the matter is that both sports can co-exist.
I think we should be honest about this as well. Jones Jr. would beat up Silva in a boxing ring and Silva would beat up Jones Jr. in the octagon. It’s as simple as that. There is no need to go any further.
This story needs to disappear sooner rather than later.
Comments (18) Add a comment »
from 15 days ago
i agree totally. im much more in favor of the spider moving up to challenge rampage if he beats griffin. i think this is a case of anderson realizing that the ufc has no real challengers left for him that he can get excited about, and he wants to challenge himself. kudos to him for having a large sack. Having said that he needs to stop this before it becomes a randy couture situation where he is refusing to fight and the ufc is suing him. besides i dont recall a time where someone so feverishly pursued a good whipping, which is what he would get from Roy Jones in a boxing ring. This is not good for boxing, and not good for mma.
from 15 days ago
I agree with you. Silva has essentially destroyed the entire middleweight division and he knows it.
Rampage is a possibility. GSP moving up to 185 is possible too. Silva will most likely fight Yushin Okami next though. After that I don't think Joe Silva even has a clue.
Also, having a dominant champion in the same weight class over a long period of time is not necessarily a bad thing.
from 15 days ago
I don't agree. Everyone is so scared to see what the outcome might be. What if you guys are all wrong? Silva has time and time again stepped up to the challenge. I say let him try it.
If Roy Beats him it will be based on boxing rules, it doesn't disprove the superiority of MMA over boxing, otherwise rules to add feet, feet and elbows, feet-elbows-takedowns, feet-elbows-takedowns and submissions would be added.
Its strictly an opinion that its not good for boxing or MMA. I disagree and I would bet a paycheck that the fans would agree based on the sheer volume of turnout for this match.
~ Martial Artist
from 15 days ago
I'd love to see silva take on jones jr and I agree with you that it would create a stir and thousands upon thousands would view/purchase this fight.
This is all water under the bridge though. The UFC is protecting their asset and they have nothing to gain from this so it will never happen. They have exclusive contracts and they don't co-promote events. If they let Silva fight they would have to allow other UFC fighters to go elsewhere to fight.
If I had a prediction I'd say Silva would get handled by Jones Jr. Silva has a 1-1 record in professional boxing. He was TKO'd by a guy named Osmar Teixeira who has a 38-21 career record just three years ago in his last boxing match.
from 15 days ago
Silva is a great fighter, but Roy Jones Jr is a great boxer. There is a big difference. With the addition of kicks, knees elbows and submission, MMA is a far different sport. Take those away and even the best mixed martial artist would have a difficult time in the boxing ring (under boxing rules of course). Plus, let's not forget that Silva isn't looking to fight a has-been, he is looking to fight one of the most dominant boxers in history.
from 15 days ago
Excellent article, I agree with all your points. Silva is in it for the pay day, and a loss would add fuel to the fire for boxing pundits and detractors of our sport who cry out boxing>MMA.
RJJ is expected to beat Silva in a boxing match, while Silva is supposed to win in an MMA fight. So it's not really fair either way, because they are separate sports.
It's like a baseball player challenging a football player because both sports involve the skill of catching. The UFC has too much to lose in the eyes of casual fans if they let this fight happen.
We would never hear the end of it from boxing fans if Silva lost. A boxing match proves who is the better boxer, an MMA match who is the better fighter.
Why doesn't RJJ step up and challenge Silva to an MMA fight? And if Silva wants to challenge himself, there is plenty of competition at 205 pounds in the UFC, and he would be hard pressed to win and defend that belt.
The light-heavyweight division is a lot more stacked than middleweight, with numerous fighters looking for a title shot. And Silva could still cash in by moving up in weight and fighting high prestige fights against guys like Rampage, Wandy, Shogun, Chuck, Machida, Forrest, Jardine, etc.
from 15 days ago
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from 15 days ago
1280thezone.com thought I added a link
from 15 days ago
you are bang on. Everyone wants to see a top boxer and a top MMA fighter go at it, but in an Octagon, not in a boxing match, I don't care how much Silva strictly trains his boxing skills. Dana White needs to stop this as much as he needs to stop Couture from fighting Fedor outside of the UFC.
from 15 days ago
Dana has already said this isn't going to happen but if they get into a situation where silva doesn't want to fight again before the boxing match happens then they are in trouble. We'll have another couture situation on our hands.
from 14 days ago
i think silva will fight okami, then probably gsp if he moves up, then he should move up to 205. i think that scenario should keep him motivated.
from 14 days ago
Great article I agree with the point of view that Silva may be getting a little bored, much like Jones did in the 90's when he was trying to play minor league basketball and box on the same day. Lets hope GSP moves up or they even meet at a catchweight.Again he could also move up there are some potential great matchups for him if he does great work and comments on this piece.
from 14 days ago
Why all this concern about what is good for the UFC ? I think its safe to say that the UFC will survive a fight between Jones and Silva. And Dana White and the UFC will get bigger and richer The future of mixed martial arts as............. BIG! would seem to be assured. I am far less concerned with the wants and desires of Dana (no class) White, than I am with the wants and desires of the talented and dedicated atheletes such as Silva, Coutour, and others to follow, who will have to deal with being held down and coralled by stifleing contracts disigned to hoard and monopolize on them for profit. if Silva would like to test himself against Jones he should be allowed to, and if he isnt ( and if the fight between Fedor and Cotour doesnt happen, for another example) it will be for one reason.............GREED!
from 13 days ago
The concern for the UFC is why jeopardize their ascent in any way? The UFC is a business and letting Silva get knockout by RJJ for millions to see is frankly a bad PR move. Will it be the end of the UFC? heck no, but there is nothing to gain from it. If i'm running the Yankees I don't want one of my biggest assets like Derek Jeter starting at short for the Reds next tuesday.
The UFC "hoarding and monopolizing" their fighters for money is a misconception. Well established UFC fighters do not make as much as top flight boxers, however, if you go down the latter the pay for UFC fighters is comparable and you could argue is even better than boxing. There is plenty of money in the form of PPV shares that is being paid out as well that the public never sees.
It's not the UFC sitting down at the table saying this is what it's going to be and sign here. They are not holding the fighters hostage. It's a negotiation with the UFC and the fighter's reps. If they didn't like the contracts and they were completely unfair then all these fighters wouldn't sign with the UFC. It's an exclusive contract and they know it.
from 13 days ago
I fear that Silva could lose either an MMA or boxing match...don't get me wrong I think he is the best there is @ MMA...but put RJJ in front of him and I reckon he will want to box.
I think he needs to quite this obsession...just spar with him instead.
from 13 days ago
to his credit, Roy Jones has stated that knows absolutely nothing about wrestling or jiu jitsu and is honored that Silva has the courage to even attempt to fight him in a boxing ring. Its not as if Roy is claiming he can beat Silva for the middleweight title or anything, this is all Silva's doing. He says Roy is someone he looked up to and admired, and he wants to fight him in a boxing match. I also assume he wants to make the multi million dollar payday that would come along with it.
from 12 days ago
I TOTALLY understand where the UFC management is coming from on this one. I could see them MAYBE standing behind it more if they were to have a fight in the Octagon but then Roy Jones' people wouldnt go for it.
With Bisping now in the Middleweight Division, Wanderlei Silva thinking about going and Rich Franklin continuosly bettering himself I think that Anderson needs to FOCUS on keeping that Middleweight Title around his waist.
from 12 days ago
well written. Good job sourcing at least one point. Very few do that.
I don't really agree though. Yeah, he'll lose. I'd give him 20-1 underdog against RJJ. If this were any other fighter, I'd see Dana's refusal to back this as a smart, commanding decision. If this were any other fighter, I'd decry the man a fool, and could see no point to this fight, especially from a pro-mma point of view.
But there's the catch....this is Anderson Silva. With the state of the MW division, and Silva's complete dominance of anything resembling a challenger, Dana's obstinacy could be his downfall.
Silva has one more fight on his contract, I believe, which undoubtedly will go to Okami. Silva does want this rematch, but after undergoing undisclosed surgery, it appears he'll be on the shelf for a bit. This would seem to be the time to lock him into a longer contract, but I'm not so sure he'll sign. I think, with his championship behind him, he'll fight Okami, but without guaranteeing any fights afterwards. We'll then see a standoff, of Silva giving the UFC the last shot to try and get in on the RJJ fight, or be left in the stands. He could very likely take off to do this fight, on his own, under Don King., then return to offer Dana his services again. Win or lose, do you see any reason Dana would say no? Just to be stubborn? He didn't create Silva, and all he would have is a paper Champ if he tries to pull some kind of powerplay, and phase Silva out. Silva sounds like this fight is as important as winning world championships to him, and he would have a chance in the fight. Eventually, Dana's refusal to bend may lead the UFC to break. The oak shatters and dies when the wind howls, the willow flexes and survives. Sometimes, you gotta know when to roll with the punches, but Dana seems to think he's invincible.
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