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A new report by Michael Woods of FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s official content partner CBSSports.com claims that former pound-for-pound boxing king Roy Jones Jr. has offered to fight current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva under MMA rules inside of a UFC Octagon.
The proposed Silva vs. Jones showdown made headlines last summer after the two fighters tried to agree to fight outside of the UFC under professional boxing rules. Silva’s contract with the UFC required permission from the promotion to accept such a match and UFC President Dana White turned down the request.
According to Woods’ report, White has once again turned down the request even in spite of the fact that Jones is willing to fight Silva under his terms.
“You won’t see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me,” White is quoted in the CBSSports.com article. “I don’t want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He’s not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must’ve spent all his money.”
The 40-year old Jones competed in boxing as recently as March, defeating Omar Sheika in Jones’ hometown of Pensacola, Florida during the “March Badness” PPV event produced by his own Squared Ring Promotions.
Despite no longer currently being in his prime, one would have to think that a Jones vs. Silva MMA bout promoted by the UFC could draw significant numbers in the box office. White agrees, but doesn’t believe that such a matchup is good for the image of his company.
“I could do it, make it huge, make money,” White began to tell Woods. “But I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money (in the early 2000s). The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don’t do that because we love the sport. That’s a Pride or K-1 matchup. It’s not what we do.”
The proposed Silva vs. Jones showdown made headlines last summer after the two fighters tried to agree to fight outside of the UFC under professional boxing rules. Silva’s contract with the UFC required permission from the promotion to accept such a match and UFC President Dana White turned down the request.
According to Woods’ report, White has once again turned down the request even in spite of the fact that Jones is willing to fight Silva under his terms.
“You won’t see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me,” White is quoted in the CBSSports.com article. “I don’t want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He’s not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must’ve spent all his money.”
The 40-year old Jones competed in boxing as recently as March, defeating Omar Sheika in Jones’ hometown of Pensacola, Florida during the “March Badness” PPV event produced by his own Squared Ring Promotions.
Despite no longer currently being in his prime, one would have to think that a Jones vs. Silva MMA bout promoted by the UFC could draw significant numbers in the box office. White agrees, but doesn’t believe that such a matchup is good for the image of his company.
“I could do it, make it huge, make money,” White began to tell Woods. “But I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money (in the early 2000s). The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don’t do that because we love the sport. That’s a Pride or K-1 matchup. It’s not what we do.”
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