If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

by Michael Rome on Mar 1, 2008 5:55 PM EST in MMA News

Sherdog has a very interesting piece up on Anderson Silva.

"Maybe after this fight," says Silva, who if he beats Henderson will pretty much have cleaned out the UFC's middleweight division. "I'll challenge whoever is the champion [in my weight range] in boxing."

Or, if not a champion, perhaps the boxer he respects and admires the most, Roy Jones, Jr.

I knew this would happen soon. An MMA fighter like Silva in a boxing challenge will get a ton of mainstream press, and will probably make more money in that one fight than he would in 4 years of fighting in UFC.

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Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

Won't happen...ever. Jones has a very limited number of fights left and he wants another title shot. A) Beating Silva doesn't move Jones toward that. B) It would have to be an "exhibition" as no sanctioning body in the world is going to sanction 52-4 Roy Jones Jr. (Boxer of the Decade for the 90's) against Anderson Silva (who I don't believe has any official boxing matches. So again, a waste of time for Jones. C) Jones likes making money and he isn't going to make nearly as much fighting Silva as he would fighting another top name in a boxing match.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 1, 2008 6:25 PM EST reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

Also, I doubt the UFC wants to see one of their champions potentially being made to look bad in a boxing ring.

by Richard Wade on Mar 1, 2008 6:30 PM EST up reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

No potential about it. Jones or any other elite level boxer (even one past his prime like RJ) would make Silva look foolish in a boxing match. It's the same as what Silva would do to them in an MMA match.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 1, 2008 6:57 PM EST up reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

I don't know about this fight in particular, but I'd bet any amount that within the next 5 years we will see a big MMA name fight a championship boxer and make millions. The money is right, and the commissions are ridiculously corrupt anyway, they'll find a place to do it.

by Michael Rome on Mar 1, 2008 6:39 PM EST reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

Nope. Won't happen. There are rules in place that prevent these types of "immediate title shots" from happening. The commissions aren't THAT corrupt. I can promise you that there will never be an MMA fighter coming into boxing and receiving a championship bout.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 1, 2008 6:56 PM EST up reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

The only way you'll see it is, as I said earlier, if it were an exhibition match.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 1, 2008 6:59 PM EST up reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

And sorry for 3 straight posts. But the other thing to remember is that I'm talking not only about the boxing commissions I'm talking about the athletic commissions.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 1, 2008 7:02 PM EST up reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

Maybe he should challenge a kickboxer. I can't see any mma fighter lasting to long against a professional boxing champion in a boxing match.

by Yasnian on Mar 1, 2008 6:55 PM EST reply actions

Re: If Silva Wins, He Wants Roy Jones Jr

I think we're talking past each other. I always meant it would happen eventually as an exhibition match, not as a title match. Either way I think the hype on something like....BJ Penn v. Floyd Mayweather would have all the boxing and UFC fans watching, and would create enough of a media frenzy to do insane numbers.

I believe one of the most watched tennis matches ever was an exhibition, the battle of the sexes, which I think something like 50 million people watched. People tend to care way more about narrative than titles.

by Michael Rome on Mar 1, 2008 7:11 PM EST reply actions