Why Silva-Jones Jr. Will NEVER Happen

Chalk up all this talk about Roy Jones Jr. and "The Spider" Anderson Silva participating in a boxing match to wishful thinking and fantasy. MMAjunkie.com has reported that Dana White, the UFC President, has made it public that he will not permit a Silva-Jones Jr. fight from taking place. So the salivating MMA and boxing fans have had their hearts crushed by the man who really had the say-so in this matter anyway.

You can report the Silva and Jones camps were negotiating deals all you want, but if the UFC wasn't involved then it doesn't mean squat. Anderson Silva is the UFC's current answer to boxing’s "Iron" Mike Tyson. The man that everyone in his profession regards as the "The Most Dangerous Man." Do you honestly think Dana White would let Silva engage in a pro boxing match and lose all the allure of being considered "The Most Dangerous MMA Fighter on The Planet?"

Anderson Silva has a 1-1 record in professional boxing. He's fared much better in MMA having amassed a record of 21 wins against 4 losses. But, more important than all that, Silva is currently at the top of most mythical MMA pound-for-pound lists. On the other side of the token, Roy Jones Jr. has a professional boxing record of 52 wins against 4 losses. He held the mythical distinction of boxing’s pound-for-pound best for a number of years and although past his prime would mop the floor with an inexperienced boxer like Silva under professional boxing rules. Jones Jr. has lightning fast hands, good power and is a master craftsman in the sport of boxing. He holds wins over notable fighters like James "Lights Out" Toney, John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz and Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins. He was selected as the Boxing Writers Association of America's "Fighter of The Decade" for the 90's, and has held title belts for the WBC, WBA, IBF and countless other boxing organizations at light heavyweight. Without being able to use his other fighting skills, fighting under professional boxing rules and in a professional boxing ring it doesn't sound like Silva has much of a chance even though Jones has aged and isn't the threat he was at the height of his career. I won't even consider Roy Jones Jr. going to the octagon and fighting Silva under MMA rules because the guy is too intelligent to put himself at that type of disadvantage against a MMA fighter with the skill and experience of "The Spider."

I motion that we close the book on which sport and which fighters are better between MMA and professional boxing. The truth is that both sports are vastly different and comparing their top fighters in matches against each other isn't fair. Anderson "The Spider" Silva is one of the best MMA fighters on the planet and I would pick him to defeat most people at light heavyweight and anyone around his weight class. Roy Jones Jr. isn't the best boxer on the planet, but as he proved this past January he still has enough in the tank to defeat most fighters except for the elite. Anderson Silva would get pounded by an aged, past his prime light heavyweight like Roy Jones Jr. and Roy Jones Jr. would probably get twisted, mangled and undressed on the ground in a UFC octagon by "The Spider." There's no shame in the fact that a man that is regarded as one of the truly best in his sport would manhandle and dominate a man from another sport. I wouldn't hold it against Peyton Manning if he couldn't strike out a Florida Marlin just as I wouldn't hold it against Nolan Ryan if he couldn't throw a completion in the NFL.