UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has publically stated over the last couple of years that he’d like to fight boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match at some point.
On June 7, Jones Jr. told TMZ.com that he would “love to do it.”
During a UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman media conference call on Tuesday, Silva reiterated his desire to fight the 44-year-old former boxing champion.
“Of course I want to fight him. Maybe after this fight with Weidman, regardless of the outcome, I would love to fight him. He’s already said that he would fight me also, so that’s something that I would really like to happen,” said the UFC champion. “I feel that his boxing style is one that I’d like to test myself against. I’ve always been a fan of his, and I just always wanted to test myself against Roy Jones.”
Silva recently signed a 10-fight deal with the UFC, but at 38-years-old it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to fulfill the contract.
“There’s a lot of possibilities of different things that could happen. But that’s a fight that I’ve always wanted. That’s a fight that I still want. We’re going to have to see how everything plays out and wait for the next chapter of Anderson Silva and the UFC,” said Silva.
“Everything is a possibility, but really it’s going to come down to my willpower and my desire to still be fighting. I have a lot of other things that I want to do. I have other desires, and one of those is fighting Roy Jones. But we’re just going to have to see how things work out in the next few fights and how I feel,” he added.
Jones Jr. indicated that for the fight to happen, it would probably have to take place in the near future.
“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,” Jones Jr. said to TMZ. “Of course if we’re going to do it shortly, 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.”
It’s unlikely that a fight between Silva and Jones Jr. will ever actually happen, but Silva’s been in search of superfights and a bout with Roy Jones Jr. would certainly be one.
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