Roy Jones Jr, the 56-year-old four-division world champion, has opened the door for a surprising comeback to the boxing ring. The legendary fighter says he's willing to end his retirement for a crossover boxing match against former MMA superstar Anderson Silva.
Jones last stepped into the ring in April 2023, when he defeated Anthony 'Showtime' Pettis. Many thought that bout would be his final fight, especially given the widespread belief that he had continued fighting for too long.
During his peak in the 1990s, Jones racked up impressive victories over the likes of Mike McCallum, Montell Griffin, and Bernard Hopkins. He cemented his place in boxing history by winning world titles across four weight classes. In 2003, Jones made a bold move up to heavyweight and dethroned WBA world champion John Ruiz, before quickly returning to light heavyweight.
Now, Jones has his sights set on a fight with 49-year-old Anderson Silva. The Brazilian, known for his record-breaking 2,457-day title reign in the UFC, transitioned to boxing in 2021. Silva has had three professional boxing matches, beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Tito Ortiz before losing an 8-round bout to Jake Paul in October 2022.
Jones believes a matchup with Silva would be a major event in combat sports. In a recent interview, he stated:
"The fight that really started this crossover boxing, even before Conor McGregor got involved in it, the first fight that was on the horizon that we said would be a big event would be Roy Jones versus Anderson Silva and I'm never going to back away from that and say that's not one of the biggest events that could happen today."
This potential clash between Jones and Silva harks back to the early days of crossover boxing, predating the trend that has seen MMA fighters like Conor McGregor step into the boxing ring.
While no official announcement has been made, Jones' willingness to come out of retirement for this specific matchup has certainly got fans talking. It remains to be seen whether this fight will materialize, but it's clear that the idea of facing Silva still excites the boxing legend.
