Anderson Silva made it clear in an interview with the New York Post that he wants a fight with Jones before he hangs up the gloves. The catch? It’s not the Jones everyone has in mind. “The Spider” stated that he has always eyed a fight with boxing…
“The Spider” stated that he has always eyed a fight with boxing legend Roy Jones, Jr., and that fight piques his interest more than superfights with fellow UFC champions Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones.
“I think everyone’s got something they’re focused on and that’s my own desire, something I’d like to do,” Silva said through a translator. “Maybe one day when I’m done my UFC career I will box Roy Jones … “That’s something I’d really be interested in, maybe [UFC president] Dana [White] should do this fight.”
Silva, who is 16-0 inside the Octagon and owns the UFC middleweight record with 10 successful title defenses, said in an ideal world, he’d like to fight Jones Jr. in both a boxing match and an MMA bout.
When asked on his feelings about fighting either welterweight kingpin GSP or light heavyweight top dog Jon Jones, Silva was far less enthusiastic.
“You can think, think, think or look for things, but never find it,” Silva said. “It’s hard for me to guess on that.”
The Brazilian’s comments are quite interesting considering a recent report by The Wrestling Observer’s, Dave Meltzer, which stated that the UFC is looking to have a superfight card at Cowboys Stadium in October, via Bloody Elbow.
One of the fights Meltzer mentions being considered is Silva vs. Jon Jones in a light heavyweight bout; however, that seems to be in limbo at best based on Silva’s recent comments.
Of course, those plans would be all for naught if Silva loses his title to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 this July. Apparently, GSP believes that Weidman pulling off the upset is a forgone conclusion, via MMA Junkie.
The 44-year-old Jones Jr. is one of boxing’s greatest of all time, boasting an unheard of 56-8 record and capturing championships in four different weight classes.
Just when it seemed that age had caught up to him, losing three fights between 2009 and 2011, Jones Jr. has since added two more victories to his resume, one of which earned him the WBO Intercontinental Cruiserweight title.
Meanwhile “Bones” Jones tied the UFC light heavyweight record set by Tito Ortiz when he defended his belt for the fifth time against Chael Sonnen last month, and currently seems to be eyeing a fight with Alexander Gustafsson next.
Will we ever see Silva fight fellow dominant champions St-Pierre of Jones inside the Octagon, or are these fantasy matchups simply too good to ever be true?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
March 2010: The BeginningThere was a time, not that long ago, when the mixed martial arts world clamored for a fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre. The reigning UFC middleweight and welterweight champions weren’t just the best in th…
March 2010: The Beginning
There was a time, not that long ago, when the mixed martial arts world clamored for a fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.
The reigning UFC middleweight and welterweight champions weren’t just the best in their respective weight classes; they were the absolute best in the world. Both men ruled as pound-for-pound greats, and with every passing fight and every consecutive win, the fans’ desire to see St-Pierre move up—or to see them meet somewhere between 170 and 185 pounds for a catchweight bout—grew by leaps and bounds.
At the beginning of 2010, that started to change. Fans still wanted to see Silva vs. St-Pierre in the UFC’s first true superfight, but it was around March 2010 that a new name began to emerge.
One year before he’d defeat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to become the youngest UFC champion in history, the official website of Jackson-Winklejohn’s MMA gym posted an interview with Jonny “Bones” Jones in which the future champion was asked who he looked up to from a fighting perspective:
Jon Jones: Yeah, Anderson Silva inspires me a lot. His style is just so amazing and he’s so creative.
The interview took place the same week that Jones went to Broomfield, Colo., and broke Brandon Vera’s face in multiple places during the first round of their UFC Live on Versus main event. Prior to that fight, Jones was considered a top prospect; in hindsight, this was the moment that helped turn him from someone who might eventually be good into a fighter who could contend for a championship much sooner than anyone thought.
In fact, Jones would win the light heavyweight championship from Rua one year later. But even in April 2010, Jones tweeted that fans were bringing up the idea of a bout with Silva (h/t SB Nation):
January 2011: The Birth of a Star
Two months before Jones would face Rua, however, he defeated Ryan Bader at UFC 126. After he handily submitted Bader, Jones was informed by Joe Rogan that his teammate Rashad Evans had been forced to pull out of his title fight the next month with Rua, and the UFC was offering him the fight if he wanted it.
It was one of the more memorable moments in the history of the promotion. In hindsight, this was also when the idea of Jones facing Anderson Silva became a tangible idea. It was nothing more than a pipe dream, to be sure, because a large percentage of fans still wanted to see Silva vs. St-Pierre.
But, as you can see from the Google Trends report on the “Jon Jones vs. Anderson Silva,” the idea of Jones taking on Silva in a superfight morphed from obscurity into a real popular debate topic, and it all happened when Jones marched through Bader and Rua in consecutive months.
April 2011: Superfight Rumblings
Shortly after Jones’ historic title win, former Sports Illustrated reporter Steven Marrocco asked Silva for his thoughts on facing the new light heavyweight champion:
That, of course, comes as bad news for those recently amped for a meeting between Silva and Jon Jones. The newly minted light heavyweight king sparked immediate interest in the matchup with his decimation of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua this past month at UFC 128.
Silva, who’s moonlighted at 205 pounds during his current reign with wins over Forrest Griffin and James Irvin, called Jones “amazing” but said fans jumped the gun in pairing them.
“(In) the UFC, a lot of fights [are] possible to fight,” Silva said. “I’m maintaining my focus for my category.”
This was typical Silva, who consistently gave the vaguest possible answer when asked for his thoughts on facing St-Pierre or Jones.
But perhaps nuances were being lost in translation. When asked about the potential of a Jones fight by Brazilian outlet Esportes, Silva was far more direct (via MMA Mania):
No chance. He’s in a different weight class, we are friends and we won’t fight each other.
And that, as they say, appeared to be that.
December 2011: The Roar Grows Louder
Jones defended his title that September against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and then returned in December, finishing former champion Lyoto Machida with one of the nastiest guillotine chokes in UFC history.
By the time Jones was finished making his third consecutive champion appear as though they didn’t belong in the same cage with him, Silva had finished Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami in destructive fashion, cementing himself as the unquestioned greatest fighter of all time.
A new tide was rolling in; fans were still interested in the idea of Silva fighting St-Pierre, but the Canadian’s unwillingness to move up to 185 pounds put a damper on things. Silva wanted to fight St-Pierre, but he had no plans to drop to welterweight, and St-Pierre kept repeating that he’d need major time off to pack on muscle if the UFC wanted him to move up to face Silva.
Even though both men said they were interested in the idea of a catchweight bout, you could tell that the excitement wasn’t really there.
Not the way it used to be, anyway.
After Jones finished Machida, the majority of fan interest swung away from Silva facing St-Pierre and toward Silva moving up to light heavyweight to face Jones. Silva had successfully competed at 205 twice in the UFC, easily defeating James Irvin and embarrassing Forrest Griffin. Those two appearances made the fans believe that Silva could easily compete with the best at light heavyweight, and Jones was the best.
Fans and media began asking Dana White if Silva vs. Jones was something he’d ever consider putting together, but White threw cold water on the idea at the UFC 140 post-fight press conference:
I think Jon Jones is young, … He’s 24 years old, he’s just getting out there and fighting all the best in the light heavyweight division. I don’t see that fight happening anytime soon. What people got to realize is that Anderson Silva’s 37 years old. Thirty-seven years old. They’re in two different weight classes.
White appeared to want no part of Silva vs. Jones. Why ruin two meal tickets when both of them had major fights left in their respective divisions? At the time, Jones still had an oft-delayed bout with former teammate Evans on the horizon, and Silva had a rematch with Chael Sonnen that would be a pay-per-view bonanza.
He’s got to beat some of the guys at 205lbs that are next in line before Anderson Silva moves up there, … The guys who have been fighting at 205lbs for all these years and have those slots deserve the respect to fight for the belt before we do some type of super-fight.
But White appeared to change his mind just a few days later, telling Brazilian website Alpha that he had the perfect idea for Silva’s final career fight (via Cage Potato):
He’s probably the greatest fighter in history. He hasn’t lost and has been champion since 2006. I think he has two more title defenses and I do not know what he’ll do next or if he will retire, … He could end his career with a super fight against Jon Jones or George St-Pierre. He could end his career like that — fight in a different weight class. I would be happy with that. Then he could take a boat and sail into the sunset.
The fans wanted the fight, and White finally seemed to be warming to the idea.
April 2012: Jones Cements His Place in History
In beating former friend-turned-nemesis Rashad Evans at UFC 145, Jones had done something entirely unique. With wins over Rua, Jackson, Machida and Evans, Jones had easily dispatched not just the best the UFC’s light heavyweight division had to offer, but four of the divisional best of all time.
At the UFC 145 post-fight press conference, White maintained that Silva was still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but admitted that Jones was inching closer to that top spot. In doing so, White also mentioned the possibility of pairing Jones and Silva:
It’s incredible – (Jones) did it in one year, … Anderson Silva’s been doing it since like 2006. Until Anderson Silva loses and is knocked off that top notch, or until we (make a fight with) him and Jon Jones, I think (Silva is) the No. 1 pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
More and more fans began to clamor for the superfight, lighting up messageboard communities around the world and giving their predictions on who would win. Jones, however, continued to brush aside the notion of facing Silva, while also noting that he believed he could get the job done:
Because I look up to Anderson so much, I don’t look at myself as the guy to fight him right now, … Anderson’s one of the guys right now I look at his way of being to like Bruce Lee. I would need to do some serious soul-searching to know that I’d beat Anderson Silva’s [butt]. I think I have the capabilities of doing it. But I truly admire Anderson Silva.
Three months after Jones defeated Evans, Silva would finish archrival Chael Sonnen in the second round of their UFC 148 main event. Once again, it seemed as though Silva had no challengers remaining who could conceivably toss him from the middleweight throne, and fans again began to demand that he face either St-Pierre or Jones.
At the UFC 148 post-fight press conference, White was asked about Silva taking on Jones despite Silva’s proclamations that he would not take the fight due to their friendship:
“He said he wouldn’t fight Chael again, either,” White said with a smile.
But the light heavyweight champion had another respected opponent in front of him. Dan Henderson had returned to the UFC from Strikeforce in December 2011, earning a title shot by beating Rua in one of the UFC’s all-time classic fights. He was scheduled to face Jones in September 2012 at UFC 151, but an injury suffered in training camp forced him to withdraw. It also brought about the first-ever UFC event cancellation when White and Joe Silva could not find a replacement opponent that Jones thought suitable.
Jones was moved to the UFC 152 main event, where he faced middleweight contender Vitor Belfort. Jones survived a first-round armbar attempt from Belfort before moving on to finish him by submission. Jones, it seemed, had once again cleared out his division of any substantial challengers.
2013: The Roar Becomes Thunder
Until February 2013, both Silva and Jones had adamantly claimed that they would never fight each other.
That all changed when Silva gave an interview to Brazilian outlet SportTV (via Cage Potato):
SportTV says that last Wednesday Anderson told a bunch of Brazilian cats that he expects to fight Jones this year in New York City but that the bout would need to be a non-title, catch-weight affair.
It was the first time either man had openly discussed the notion of fighting each other. Silva’s remarks apparently irked Jones to such a degree that he quit talking about Silva as a friend and started discussing him as a potential opponent.
In the media lead-up to his April fight with Chael Sonnnen, Jones told 99.3 The Fox’s Jeff O’Neil Show in Vancouver, Canada, that he would face Silva (via Bloody Elbow):
Yeah definitely, there will be a time, there will come a time. One day, I said it first here. Normally I beat around the bush, but it’s going to happen for sure.
Jones easily beat Sonnen, but suffered a nasty toe injury in the process. That didn’t stop the discussion of the Jones vs. Silva idea from becoming even more substantial, and White threw kerosene on the flames when he announced with a smile at the UFC 159 post-fight press conference that he’d just gotten off the phone with Silva:
That actually did happen tonight. Anderson called and he wants a fight tonight, so. It did happen. Anderson called tonight and Anderson called and I’m not going to tell you which one it is (between Jones and Georges St. Pierre) but I’m going to get to work on it as soon as possible.
Being that Silva’s call came on the heels of Jones beating Sonnen, it was assumed that Silva called and requested a fight with the light heavyweight champion. And though Silva had a July fight with Chris Weidman on the docket, White continued to fan the flames:
Silva has a fight coming up on July 6, he’s fighting Chris Weidman. Many people think this is a very serious threat to his record and his title and everything else. But if he gets past this test with Weidman, we could see this [Jones] super fight this year.
2014: The Year of Jones vs. Silva?
Now that you know the history, you probably have one question: Will this fight ever happen?
My answer? Yes, and it’s going to happen in 2014.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestler Observer Newsletter (h/t Fox Sports Southwest) has suggested that the UFC is planning an event at Cowboys Stadium that would feature Jones vs. Silva as the main event, with the third meeting between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos assuming the co-headliner spot.
I don’t believe that report is accurate. White has noted that the Velasquez vs. dos Santos bout is targeted for Houston later in 2013, and UFC officials have confirmed to me that, while nothing is finalized, Houston is being looked into for a late-year event.
Here’s what I believe will happen: Jones will return later this summer and face Alexander Gustafsson. As long as he wins that fight, and so long as Silva beats Weidman, then Jones and Silva will face off in early 2014. My best bet would be the Super Bowl weekend card, an event that is traditionally held in Las Vegas. Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reported the event will instead be held in New Jersey in conjunction with the Super Bowl the following day.
If that event remains a pay-per-view, then Jones vs. Silva is the perfect fight to make. It’s a big-money fight in a big market. But if Fox is adamant on televising the event on their network, Silva vs. Jones will not take place on that night. Giving away what could potentially be the biggest-money fight in UFC history on free television isn’t the smartest of business decisions, after all.
But you can rest assured that, barring any kind of crazy injury or an abrupt retirement from Silva, the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport will finally meet each other in the Octagon next year.
Behind most great fighters are great managers, but who are the best in the business today?That question opened up a recent online spat between two of the biggest names in the professional world of MMA and pro wrestling, as super-agents Malki Kawa …
Behind most great fighters are great managers, but who are the best in the business today?
That question opened up a recent online spat between two of the biggest names in the professional world of MMA and pro wrestling, as super-agents Malki Kawa and Paul Heyman went after each other online via Twitter this Thursday.
Kawa started things off with a single shot at Heyman, leading the former ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) owner to respond in kind:
Malki Kawa > Paul heyman — malki kawa (@malkikawa) May 30, 2013
From there, both managers went into a multi-hour argument, directly targeting each other over their respective career achievements, along with their stable of clients:
I rep more champs and his best one only had the belt for 465 days. Not in my league “@jeremybotter: You see … m.tmi.me/XcNnb— malki kawa (@malkikawa) May 30, 2013
Truth be told, I had to Google @malkikawa once the esteemed @jeremybotter pointed out that someone was be douchey on Twitter today. — Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) May 30, 2013
That’s a direct referral to former WWE champion CM Punk, one of Heyman’s most notable clients (both in storyline and real life), who recently lost his WWE title to The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) at the 2013 Royal Rumble.
By contrast, Kawa’s company, First Round Management, represents several MMA champions such as Miesha Tate, Benson Henderson, Carlos Condit, Frank Mir and, most famously, UFC light heavyweight titan Jon Jones.
Arguably, the comparison is apples to oranges.
Not only do Kawa and Heyman work in entirely different industries, but Jones’ record-seeking title reign over the UFC light heavyweight division—over 800 days and counting—completely dwarfs CM Punk’s 434-day run with the WWE Championship.
(Note: Anderson Silva currently holds the record for longest UFC title reign at over 2,400 days.)
That didn’t stop Kawa and Heyman from continuing to dig at each other, with Kawa even claiming he and Jones could beat Heyman and Lesnar in a WWE match:
So thanks to @malkikawa for making my day. Have 1 of your clients on the Hustle. Or send @mieshatate my way when she dumps her BF. — Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) May 30, 2013
But things suddenly took a turn for the nasty when the topic of sponsorship money came into play, with Heyman suggesting that Lesnar currently makes more money as a WWE star than Jon Jones does as a UFC champion:
OK, time for some people to smarten the F up. @frontrowbrian (1) I doubt ANYONE in @ufc makes more than @brocklesnar does in @wwe. — Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) May 30, 2013
Notably, Lesnar’s massive crossover appeal with WWE and MMA fans made him one of the best pay-per-view draws in UFC history, drawing over an estimated one million buys on three separate occasions as a UFC headliner (via MMA Payout).
But the question remains whether or not Lesnar makes more money in pro wrestling than he did with the UFC, although Heyman suggests there’s no comparison.
(2) @frontrowbrian If you knew what Brock DOES make from his sponsors, you would never make that asinine statement. — Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) May 30, 2013
(4) @frontrowbrian You’re comparing a legit sports agent to a PERFORMER? WTF is wrong with you? Does ur credibility mean nothing to you? — Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) May 30, 2013
Regardless of social media posturing, the simple fact remains that Lesnar still ranks amongst the highest-paid pay-per-view headliners in either MMA or pro wrestling.
And although Jon Jones is expected to eventually move into the heavyweight division before the end of his career, don’t hold your breath expecting him to jump into a ring against Brock Lesnar (even if the PPV rate would be amazing).
Not only would the UFC never take the risk of Jones getting injured during a pro wrestling event, but the company also doesn’t co-promote with anyone—especially not a substantial corporate rival like World Wrestling Entertainment.
The dislocated big toe that check-marked UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ recent title defence against Chael Sonnen is among the most grotesque sporting injuries we’ve ever seen inside the Octagon. But as the TV cameras panned down to…
The dislocated big toe that check-marked UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ recent title defence against ChaelSonnen is among the most grotesque sporting injuries we’ve ever seen inside the Octagon.
But as the TV cameras panned down to the champion’s foot after the main event at UFC 159, and with the adrenaline still pumping through Jones’ body, few could guess exactly what that injury would mean for him.
After all, no matter how contorted and bloody his appendage looked, it was just a big toe, and with Jones’ youth and zeal for competition, surely he’d be back inside the cage soon enough.
Or perhaps not.
Yesterday, Jones updated us on Twitter following a meeting with his podiatrist (that’s a foot doctor, in case you’re wondering):
Just finished with the foot doctor, got a lot to contemplate today.. Decisions decisions
At this stage, few of us can speculate what this means for the champ. While not as “glamorous” as some of the other injuries that have befallen UFC fighters, such as the anterior cruciate ligament tears that have put the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Dominick Cruz on the sidelines, the big toe is a crucial part of the kinetic chain that transfers power for any athlete in almost any sport, from the ground up through his legs, hips, arms, hands or any other part of his body.
At present, there are no fights in the cards for Jones. A superfight against Anderson Silva has been talked up for months now, but that depends on Silva getting passed Weidman in July, which is a long way off, and even three weeks is a bit soon for Jones to jump into training camp in preparation for that event.
Perhaps the UFC has discussed a potential fight for Jones late in the summer and the 205-pound kingpin has that in mind in considering how much recovery time he should give himself before getting back into the cage. But without any clear indication from either Jones or the UFC, at the moment, that’s just speculation.
The dislocated big toe that check-marked UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ recent title defence against Chael Sonnen is among the most grotesque sporting injuries we’ve ever seen inside the Octagon. But as the TV cameras panned down to…
The dislocated big toe that check-marked UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ recent title defence against ChaelSonnen is among the most grotesque sporting injuries we’ve ever seen inside the Octagon.
But as the TV cameras panned down to the champion’s foot after the main event at UFC 159, and with the adrenaline still pumping through Jones’ body, few could guess exactly what that injury would mean for him.
After all, no matter how contorted and bloody his appendage looked, it was just a big toe, and with Jones’ youth and zeal for competition, surely he’d be back inside the cage soon enough.
Or perhaps not.
Yesterday, Jones updated us on Twitter following a meeting with his podiatrist (that’s a foot doctor, in case you’re wondering):
Just finished with the foot doctor, got a lot to contemplate today.. Decisions decisions
At this stage, few of us can speculate what this means for the champ. While not as “glamorous” as some of the other injuries that have befallen UFC fighters, such as the anterior cruciate ligament tears that have put the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Dominick Cruz on the sidelines, the big toe is a crucial part of the kinetic chain that transfers power for any athlete in almost any sport, from the ground up through his legs, hips, arms, hands or any other part of his body.
At present, there are no fights in the cards for Jones. A superfight against Anderson Silva has been talked up for months now, but that depends on Silva getting passed Weidman in July, which is a long way off, and even three weeks is a bit soon for Jones to jump into training camp in preparation for that event.
Perhaps the UFC has discussed a potential fight for Jones late in the summer and the 205-pound kingpin has that in mind in considering how much recovery time he should give himself before getting back into the cage. But without any clear indication from either Jones or the UFC, at the moment, that’s just speculation.
When you hear the name Jon Jones these days, one of the first things that comes to mind is a horrific visual of the nasty toe injury he suffered in his fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159.The light heavyweight champion has been mostly laying lo…
But today, Jones tweeted that he has a big decision to make.
Then a fan followed up asking Jones what his options were.
During a Google Hangout on Wednesday night, Bleacher Report asked Jones’ manager Malki Kawa if the UFC was considering him for the UFC on Fox 1 debut in Boston on August 17. Kawa said he could not comment on any specifics, but did say that with what the UFC has in mind for Jones, he would have to start a training camp in the next three weeks.
A good training camp is almost always eight to 10 weeks, with eight weeks being the average. If Jones starts his camp in the next three weeks, that would have him completing said camp anywhere from a week before the UFC on Fox Sports 1 debut in Boston (if it’s eight weeks) to a week before UFC 164 in Milwaukee (if it’s 10 weeks).
It stands to reason that the UFC wants him for one of those two events. A third option: They want him for UFC 165 in Toronto on September 21. But if they wanted him for that fight card, then they wouldn’t necessarily need to rush him into a training camp, especially with him still recovering from the injury.
Does the UFC want Jones for UFC on Fox Sports in Boston or UFC 164 in Milwaukee?
Headlining the card with Jones would certainly give Fox Sports 1 a huge launching pad and accomplish the stated goal.
The question is, do they really want to give away that much for a televised fight card? After T.J. Grant punched his way into a lightweight title fight by finishing Gray Maynard at UFC 160 this past weekend, some speculated that the UFC might want to book Benson Henderson vs. Grant as the Fox Sports 1 main event. At the UFC 160 post-fight presser, Dana White said, “There’s four fights we’re looking at right now for that show. That’s one of them.” White would not name any of the other fights under consideration.
It’s a fight that makes a lot of sense but also would not fully accomplish what Dana promised.
That is a very big market and thus makes more sense for a star of Jones’ stature.
Who will Jones fight? Kawa said during the Google Hangout that Jones wants to fight Alexander Gustafsson, who squared off with Jones during a kickboxing event in Russia. Both fighters want the fight, and Gustafsson is the logical next contender. Not only that, but he’s also the only contender who makes sense from a timing perspective.
So it would appear that all of the pieces are in place for Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson on either the UFC on Fox Sports 1 debut or UFC 164. As long as Jones gets a clean bill of health for his toe injury, expect him back in the cage against Gustafsson at one of the August events.
Stay tuned as the main event for UFC on Fox Sports 1 could be announced at a moment’s notice.
March 2010: The Beginning