Anderson Silva is ready to accept the role of an exclusively fan of Roy Jones Jr., since he is not destined to become an opponent.
The longest reigning champion in UFC history has since left the octagon and entered the ring, where he will fight in the second consecutive sanctioned professional boxing match. Silva (2-1, 1 Ko in boxing; 34-11, 26 KO / submission in MMA) will face UFC legend Tito Ortiz at a pay-per-view show at the Triller Fight Club, which will take place on September 11 in Miami, Florida.
The fight will take place three months after the Brazilian superstar scored a stunning victory over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 19 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Both fights occurred instead of his desire to share the ring with Jones, a fight that never went beyond preliminary negotiations.
“We’ve talked about the fight for a long time,” Silva acknowledged during a virtual press conference to otherwise discuss the fight with Ortiz. “I’m a big fan of Roy Jones, been a big fan for a long time.
“I think the fight is not happening anymore.”
This fight was first discussed back in 2008, when Jones-now 52—was 39 years old, and he was still in search of another title, while Sliva was 33 years old, and it had been more than a year since his final conquest of the UFC middleweight title. The fight never took place, and Jones faced Joe Calzaghe, who survived a knockdown in the first round to significantly surpass the legendary former champion of the four divisions in the same year.
Anderson Silva went on to set an incredible mark in the octagon, retaining the middleweight title for almost seven years before losing the crown in the first of two fights with Chris Weidman in 2013. It marked a bitter period of his incredible career, when he won just once in his last nine fights in the UFC before being released last November.
Now the 46-year-old fighter hopes to achieve success in the ring, firmly set for the upcoming fight with Ortiz (21-12 in MMA), who will make his professional boxing debut. Anderson Silva plans to continue his boxing career after September 11—if never against Jones, then at least he will do everything possible to emulate his favorite fighter of all time, even to the disappointment of his team.
“I’m a big fan of Roy Jones, I was for his entire career. I try to copy him,” admits Silva. “My coach doesn’t like it but I tried to copy everything Roy Jones Jr. did. My coach told me to stop. He told me I’m not Roy Jones, so I stop.”
Anderson Silva-Tito Ortiz serves in supporting capacity to an eight-round bout between Hall of Fame former heavyweight titlist Evander Holyfield, who fights for the first time since 2011 as he faces former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.
