Not that it was ever technically on, but the proposed boxing match between Roy Jones, Jr. and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is off. The fight was in negotiations to take place under boxing rules at a catchweight between 180 and 188 pounds.

The fight was never signed because UFC president Dana White would not sign off on it, according to an interview Jones gave to the New York Daily News. Being under contract with the UFC, Silva needed White’s blessing to fight or be promoted anywhere outside of the UFC.

According to Jones, White apparently did not want the UFC embarrassed if Jones were to go and knock Silva out in the first round. I might be alone here, but I don’t think that the UFC would be embarrassed by any result. If Jones won with a first round KO, it would be clear that mixed martial artists cannot simply change sports and expect to remain at the elite level, as we all know.

The most embarrassing thing that could have happened would have been for Silva to make $20 million and never fight in the octagon again, as that would show just how poorly the UFC pays, comparably.

I think at this point, it is safe to say that as long as Dana White is in charge of the UFC, we will never see a UFC fighter: A) participate in a boxing match with a real professional, B) fight in a UFC match with a real boxer, or C) make anywhere near the kind of money that other professional athletes make.

There are many of us who understand that these are two completely different sports, and that more than likely, no one could successfully cross over into the elite level of the other — at least not in their first fight. But that doesn’t mean that we, as sports fans, don’t want to watch it. Silva is still an elite fighter, and to watch two elite athletes compete in a fight like this would be entertaining.

I will hold out hope that once Silva’s contract with the UFC is up, he takes another shot at this. In the meantime, I’d still like to see Kermit Cintron take a shot at the UFC title, if Dana White is willing to let a boxer “embarrass” himself, that is.

So unfortunately, thanks to Mr. White, one of the great pugilistic events of our lifetime will not happen. At least not on his watch. And you wonder why the UFC is in dire financial trouble? That’s what you get when you take an aerobics-instructor-turned-manager and make him the president of a company.

Share this story...

Discussion

One comment for “Roy Jones – Anderson Silva is Off”

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.