It appears Anderson Silva has changed his tune on potentially boxing Roy Jones Jr.
For years, the former UFC middleweight king expressed interest in boxing his idol Jones, but due to the nature of his UFC contract, that wasn’t possible.
But now that Silva is no longer a UFC fighter and is currently embarking on a boxing career, the matchup is feasible if both parties agree. However, it appears Silva has backtracked on that idea, and though he didn’t explain exactly why, he alluded to having too much respect for the former boxing world champion.
“I’ve been talking about this fight for many, many years ago,” Silva said on a recent media call promoting his upcoming match with Tito Ortiz. “First of all, I respect and I’m a big fan of Roy Jones. I try to copy Roy Jones in my entire life because he’s amazing, and I respect Mr. Roy a lot, and I don’t think this fight would happen right now. But I keep in touch with Mr. Roy Jones a lot and he talked to me when I fought Chavez Jr. and he gave me good luck.”
He continued, “But I think the fight is not happening anymore. I respect him a lot, and I’m a big fan. I follow Roy my entire career when I started my amateur career, and I’m so happy to try to do the same that Mr. Roy Jones did inside the ring.”
Silva returned to the boxing ring for the first time since 2005 when he defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via split decision in in the main card of “Tribute to the Kings” in June.
“The Spider” will look to continue riding his momentum in the boxing ring when he meets former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in a 195-pound boxing bout, which takes place Sept. 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and airs on pay-per-view under the Triller Fight Club banner. The professional bout is slated for eight rounds and will be contested in 10-ounce gloves.
Anderson Silva: I don’t think the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match happens anymore