Perhaps the mega-fight between boxing and mixed martial arts will happen after all.

According to Boxing Scene, quoting both the Associated Press and NBCSports.com, talks have begun between the two camps to stage an actual boxing match — not an exhibition, between Roy Jones Jr. and Anderson Silva. Both Jones and Silva have apparently been pushing for the fight to happen.

The fight would be at a catchweight between 170 and 185 pounds and land on pay-per-view. Jones was the pound-for-pound king of boxing until his loss to Antonio Tarver in 2004, but has recently won three straight fights. Silva is the current MMA pound-for-pound king, and would face the monumental task of making his professional debut against a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

The fight would likely take place in Las Vegas, and right now the biggest hurdle seems to be in Silva securing a boxing license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The reason that getting licensed may be a problem is that realistically, you have a man making his professional boxing debut against a man who is 52-4, with 38 knockouts. The burden of proof that he belongs is on Silva, but I would guess that he would get one based on his MMA experience, and likely some sparring for the powers-that-be.

In addition to the task of getting a boxing license, another hurdle may be getting the UFC to sign off on the fight. Since Silva is under contract to the UFC, it may be tough for them to agree for one of their top fighters to not only risk personal injury, but to risk the reputation of the sport.

The last hurdle this fight would face would be revenue negotiations. Jones has been notorious for being tough to deal with at the negotiating table, but seems to be loosening up at this stage of his career.

One thing is for sure — if this fight comes off, it will be huge, and could be the fight that unites these two sports.

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