Quote - The Sun
UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT champion Anderson Silva has challenged legendary fighter Roy Jones Jr to a bout in the ring.
Some of boxing’s biggest stars, including Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins and Tommy Morrison, have slammed mixed martial artists for an apparent lack of technique.
But now Brazilian star Silva has attempted to answer the criticism by daring Jones to take fight him in a boxing match.
Ed Soares, Silva’s manager, said: “Anderson would really love to fight Roy Jones Jr in a boxing match.
“It’s not just talk, we really would like to put that fight together.
“We respect Jones’ boxing ability and think he’s one of the best but we’re tired of different boxers saying that MMA fighters aren’t technical.
“Anderson would love to fight Roy Jones in a boxing match under boxing rules to prove that MMA fighters are technical too.
A clash between a top mixed martial artist and an elite boxer would be a huge draw for fight fans across the world, but it is unlikely UFC president Dana White would sanction the event unless his promotion controlled it.
Last year, Jones lavished praise on the UFC in an interview conducted by Boxing Scene.
He said: “UFC is the best fighting the best and that’s what boxing has to do. If you are an ultimate fighter, you are going to fight someone who is going to fight.
“In UFC, if you lose to a good fighter, you lost, you still know you are good fighter, and you come back the next day and fight again.
“In boxing, if you lose - that's it. You are done. I lose a few fights, they want to tell me I'm washed up and I don't have it any more."
Some of boxing’s biggest stars, including Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins and Tommy Morrison, have slammed mixed martial artists for an apparent lack of technique.
But now Brazilian star Silva has attempted to answer the criticism by daring Jones to take fight him in a boxing match.
Ed Soares, Silva’s manager, said: “Anderson would really love to fight Roy Jones Jr in a boxing match.
“It’s not just talk, we really would like to put that fight together.
“We respect Jones’ boxing ability and think he’s one of the best but we’re tired of different boxers saying that MMA fighters aren’t technical.
“Anderson would love to fight Roy Jones in a boxing match under boxing rules to prove that MMA fighters are technical too.
A clash between a top mixed martial artist and an elite boxer would be a huge draw for fight fans across the world, but it is unlikely UFC president Dana White would sanction the event unless his promotion controlled it.
Last year, Jones lavished praise on the UFC in an interview conducted by Boxing Scene.
He said: “UFC is the best fighting the best and that’s what boxing has to do. If you are an ultimate fighter, you are going to fight someone who is going to fight.
“In UFC, if you lose to a good fighter, you lost, you still know you are good fighter, and you come back the next day and fight again.
“In boxing, if you lose - that's it. You are done. I lose a few fights, they want to tell me I'm washed up and I don't have it any more."
