Jon Jones: Anderson Silva Should Retire, Try Motivational Speaking

Add Jon Jones to the list of folks who think Anderson Silva's future lies away from the cage. 

The UFC light heavyweight champion and new de facto pound-for-pound kingpin said during an interview Tuesday on Washington, D.C. sports station 106.7 WJFK that the injured GOAT should hang up his gloves and try a new line of work.

"I’m hoping that Anderson just stays away from the sport and continues to be an inspiration outside of the octagon," Jones said. "[He should] not fight again."

During the comments, Jones went out of his way to express his admiration for Silva, wondering aloud whether Silva's "idol" status in his native Brazil could enable him to try a more humanitarian set of pursuits.

“Anderson can do seminars, he can do motivational speaking, he can help all the kids in Brazil," Jones said. "I mean, he’s such an idol. His greatness has just begun, but I think in the octagon, I think it’s been already fun.”

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor

Jones is certainly not alone in his assessment of Silva, who suffered a horrific leg fracture in his December rematch with Chris Weidman. Earlier on Tuesday, for example, UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan expressed a similar sentiment in an interview on Sirius XM's The Opie and Anthony Show (per MMAFighting.com), noting that he didn't think Silva should return in 2014 as he has repeatedly said he hopes to.

Silva, for one, doesn't share the view and seems more eager than ever to fight. Though Silva's doctors (and leg) will decide whether, when and how he returns, he, his camp and the UFC itself have for weeks released a steady stream of speculation on his return fight and date. Most recently, he said he'd like to box Roy Jones, Jr., in a recent chat on his Facebook page (per MMAFighting.com), before making a UFC return. 

"I’m 100 percent positive that I will be back," Silva said when discussing the potential Jones matchup.

Silva (33-6) turns 39 in April. Before losing the middleweight belt to Weidman in July, Silva had defended his title a record 10 times and won 17 consecutive bouts at middleweight and light heavyweight.

At UFC 168, Silva lost his rematch with Weidman after Weidman checked a leg kick. Silva's lower leg fractured at a horrendous angle on Weidman's knee cap. The injury immediately entered itself on short lists for one of the worst injuries in the history of major league MMA.