Roy Jones Jr. challenges Anderson Silva to “dream” boxing match

Roy Jones Jr. called for a “dream” boxing match against former UFC superstar Anderson Silva and broke down how the potential fight would go.

Jones and Silva have been connected to a fight for many years, but the fight was never possible because UFC president Dana White would not let Silva out of his UFC contract to do boxing. White also said he would refuse to promote a boxing matchup between the two. Now that the 45-year-old Silva has been released for the UFC, he’s able to sign with any promoter, whether it be in MMA or boxing. If he’s open to going back to the boxing ring, where he previously competed last in 2015, then the 52-year-old Jones is all over it.

Fresh off of a draw with Mike Tyson in an exhibition boxing match between legends of the sport, Jones spoke to TMZ Sports and once again called for his “dream” fight with Silva.

“Truthfully speaking, my dream next fight will probably be Anderson Silva. Because Anderson is available now, I’m available now, and so we’ve been wanting to box for the longest time. Why not me and Anderson go out there and put it on for the people?” Jones said.

“(We’ve been talking about it) for a few years now. It can happen (now) I think. I’m going to call him when I get home and I’ll see what’s happening. It can happen, yes.”

When asked by the reporter if a matchup between Jones, an all-time great in boxing, and Silva, a former MMA champion who is not as experienced in the boxing realm, Jones said that it’s a fair fight because he’s not the boxer he once was. “Captain Hook” said he believes boxing against Silva is more legitimate than when Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“But Anderson has a better fight record at boxing than people like Conor McGregor. Anderson was 13-1 to 13-2 as a pro boxer.* He actually knows what a pro boxer is. He’s been a pro boxer before. He knows how to pro box,” Jones said

“At his age, my knees not being the same as he used to be, it gives him a better chance. And he’s a tall left-hander, so all of that works in his favor, you understand me? So yes, there are a few different elements now that would give him a better chance now than he would have had back in the day. Back in my prime, no, no chance. But now that I’m older and older than him, I think his chances now are better than they ever were before,” Jones said.

Do you think we will see Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anderson Silva in boxing?

Editor’s Note: BoxRec lists Anderson Silva’s pro boxing record at 1-1.