Former pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, Roy Jones, has issued a challenged to Anderson Silva and is reportedly ready to fight under UFC rules.

But UFC president Dana White is not willing to promote the match in the Octagon while Silva is under contract – despite the 34-year-old apparently being keen on taking the bout.

Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, who CBSSports.com: “We’d love to fight Roy Jones. Anderson wants to challenge himself, he wants legendary fights.”

But White said of the potential fight: “You won’t see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He’s not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must’ve spent all his money.”

He added: “I could do it, make it huge, make money, but I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money [in the early 2000s].

“The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term.

“We don’t do that because we love the sport. That’s a Pride or K-1 matchup. It’s not what we do.”

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com