Once again, there is talk of a possible super-fight between mixed martial artist Anderson Silva and boxer Roy Jones Jr., but realistically shouldn’t the Jones be Jon Jones?
A few years ago, Silva talked about fighting Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match pitting the two fighters from different forms of combat sports to decide the best pound-for-pound fighter in what would strictly be a stand-up boxing match.
The idea percolated again last week when Silva talked about it to the New York Post, generating considerable traction, although the talk may not necessarily translate to anything taking place in the near future. The reason is Silva and Jones are working on different timetables.
“I think everyone’s got something they’re focused on and that’s my own desire, something I’d like to do,” Silva told the Post. “Maybe one day when I’m done my UFC career, I will box Roy Jones.”
When apprised of Silva’s comments, Jones told TMZ.com: “I would love it. … Call me and we’ll make it happen. … I don’t like wasting time. I don’t want to talk about something that’s not going to happen, so if you want to do it, I would love to do it. If it’s two, three years down the line I can’t make no promise. But if we’re going to do it immediately right away like after the next fight, then it can happen.”
Jones is 44 and his fight schedule isn’t nearly as active as Silva’s, hence his desire to push forward the timetable. Jones last fought almost a year ago against a non-descript opponent in a 10-round bout that went the distance. Jones has won multiple championships at different weight classes and at one time had the reputation as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing.
Silva is a spry 38 and is rated as the best pound-for-pound competitor in professional MMA. He and the UFC recently signed a 10-fight deal, which theoretically could last three to four years, depending on if it goes the distance. Whether or not one of those fights becomes an exhibition contest against a boxer is another story.
Boxer James Toney, clearly in the twilight of his career, faced UFC legend Randy Couture in a bout in August, 2010 that proved to be much ado about nothing. Couture put a quick end to the bout with an arm-triangle choke midway through the first round. Toney did not come into the fight in great shape, and as soon as the match went to the ground he was done.
It has always been said that an MMA fighter has a greater chance of winning against a boxer once the bout goes to the canvas, but the Silva-Jones matchup would be a standout bout of strikers in a ring — at least that’s what’s been floated in theory. If this was to actually happen, clearly there would need to be specifics on what the weight would be, the type of gloves used, the number of rounds, the size of the ring and other details. Suffice to say, if the two are serious about making the fight happen, all these things will be resolved. Again, it’s all speculation and conjecture at this point, but it has generated discussion.
UFC president Dana White has talked about promoting a super-fight, but it has largely centred around Silva, the longtime middleweight champion in the company, and Georges St-Pierre, the longstanding welterweight champion.
White would like to stage this bout on a stacked card in Texas at Cowboys Stadium, which has a seating capacity in excess of 100,000. Both fighters would be handsomely rewarded for their efforts in what would be likely nothing more than an interesting exhibition match with no titles on the line.
But this could be an idea that amounts to nothing more than a lot of talk because of a bunch of technicalities, notably weight. Silva fights at 185, St-Pierre at 170. The easiest thing to do would come to a middle ground and make this a catchweight fight.
St-Pierre has been very selective in managing the direction of his career, both inside and outside of the cage. While St-Pierre keeps winning methodically and systematically, he is taking more shots, suggesting the competition may be catching up to him. St-Pierre has resisted any suggestions that he is only two or three fights away from retiring.
If you look at the way Silva has been destroying his opponents in his last four fights, which collectively have gone six rounds and each ended by knockout, anyone theoretically handicapping this bout would give the Brazilian a significant advantage over the Canadian. But this is one of those discussions that could go on without any right or wrong answer or definitive conclusion until an actual bout happens — if it ever does.
Silva’s next bout is July 6 at UFC 162, facing American Chris Weidman, who hasn’t lost in nine career fights, including five in the UFC. He is the latest prospect who will face the Spider with the belief he can do what others haven’t been able to since Silva lost his last fight back in Jan. 20, 2006 (a disqualification loss to Yushin Okami), a span of almost seven and a half years and 17 bouts.
He holds the UFC record for consecutive title defences and most successful title defences, both 10. He and St-Pierre are tied with 11 wins in title fights.
Silva has become electrifying with some of the ways he has destroyed his recent opponents. Assuming he disposes of Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in the same manner or is able to win in convincing fashion, can anyone truly stop him? There will always be another young stud lining up to face him, each one convinced he can do what others before him haven’t done in several years.
Some people think a matchup between Silva and Jon Jones is more likely to happen than one between Jones and St-Pierre for a variety of reasons.
Jones, the young UFC light-heavyweight champion whose freakish skills are compared most similarly to Silva, is the long-term future of the company, but he seems ready to step out of his weight class or try something different, perhaps a fight against Silva.
It would be a lot easier to put together a super-fight between Jones and Silva because they are fairly even in terms of height and it would be easier for Silva to move up to Jones’ weight class of 205 pounds. This is a fight that would draw considerable interest and White would have no trouble marketing it.
This is why Silva versus Roy Jones Jr. really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s great to generate water-cooler talk, but beyond this it’s a fight between a fighter still at the top of his game and one who has clearly gone past his shelf life, but still has a following and a desire to step into the ring once again, albeit against an opponent he has never faced — and quite likely never will.
It seems Silva’s destiny will someday result in a bout against a Jones, but more likely Jon Jones than Roy Jones.