For years, as the UFC grew, the debate between mixed martial arts and boxing just got uglier and uglier. Dana White will tell you that the UFC is the greatest sport ever created, and that because of him, boxing will soon go extinct. Lou DiBella says that MMA is just organized bar fights. Joe Rogan says boxing is dead and says it like a true asshole (I like Joe Rogan when doing comedy, but he’s a Grade-A asshole when comparing MMA to boxing). Well, we may finally get to settle this in the ring.

To most people who follow both sports, it’s pretty clear. Boxers would get hurt in the octagon and MMA-ers would get embarrassed and hurt in the ring. Generally speaking, I think there are a few boxers who could look respectable going to MMA, but not the other way around. A guy like Kermit Cintron was an accomplished wrestler and is a legitimate top welterweight boxer. He challenged Sean Sherk only to have Sherk say no thank you.

Now, the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world, Anderson Silva, has said that he is interested in getting in the ring with a champion boxer in his weight class, or Roy Jones Jr. Considering that Silva is the top pound-for-pound guy in MMA, and that he’s seen as “the next Mike Tyson“, this fight could be huge.

What will fans of both sports do if this happens? Three things we know are A) there will be intense debates about who will win; B) Silva will make more money in this one fight than in the rest of his MMA career combined; and C) Silva would get badly hurt and/or embarrassed if he tries to fight Roy Jones in an actual boxing match.

The reason that typical fighters will never be able to cross over is that the level of expertise they will be facing is so advanced that they will be mere novices at the other sport. In this hypothetical matchup, Silva may be an unbelievable striker in the UFC, but nobody he’s ever fought there was both a better puncher, and arguably the most difficult to hit boxer in the last twenty years. The advantage in the ring that a boxer would have in just footwork and defense alone is enough to likely control every minute of the fight against a good MMA striker.

This is not to say that there is no chance for a guy to cross over and be successful, but it’s not going to happen with the cross over bout being against an elite fighter.

Like I said, I’d give Cintron a decent shot because of his wrestling background, but I see very few people in either sport that could do it. In order for a boxer to have a chance in the octagon he’d need suitable takedown defense. Any boxer with a wrestling background might be able to handle himself, but not the rest. Of course, they could always land one punch…

If this fight comes off, and happens as a legitimate boxing match, then Jones will be a huge favorite. But for Silva it would be worth every second that he lasts in the ring for the ridiculous paycheck he’d get.

Not only would Silva get rich, but it would be very interesting to see where this fight would land on television. Right now, HBO has no deal with any MMA outlet, but they do have a working relationship with Roy Jones. Showtime has EliteXC, but has not worked with Jones, and Silva is coming from a competing MMA outlet. Spike and UFC have no background working with boxers, and would have a hard time coming up with the money to make this fight happen. My guess would be that HBO or a Mark Cuban type would end up being the ones that can satisfy all the needs the best, with the fight ending up on pay-per-view. Hell, this could be the fight that allows HBO and UFC to begin a working relationship, which would be good for both of them in the long run.

Obviously, this fight is far from being made, and in all likelihood will not be. But if it does, this has the potential to be the fight that changes the MMA/boxing relationship for good. I’m kind of hoping this happens, just for the entertainment and the event of it.

Here’s what I propose. If Sherk beats BJ Penn in March for the lightweight title, then you set up the ultimate MMA/boxing PPV event. With both an octagon and a ring set up in the same arena, you have an all day undercard of both sports, alternating matches. Then your co-feature main event starts with Sean Sherk vs. Kermit Cintron in the octagon, and finally Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones in the ring. What boxing or MMA fan wouldn’t buy this? I’m pretty sure this isn’t feasible, but what an event it would be.

UPDATE: Talks have begun for Jones vs. Silva.

Share this story...

Discussion

One comment for “Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones?”

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.