Roy Jones Jr has insisted he still wants to fight UFC legend Anderson Silva, even at the age of 56.
Jones Jr initially retired as a professional in 2018 after outpointing Scott Sigmon in what appeared to be his final bow.
The boxing icon left a stellar legacy in the ring, having won world titles in four weight divisions from middleweight all the way to heavyweight.
But he couldn’t resist the temptations of the squared circle, and returned in a famous money-spinning exhibition in 2020 against Mike Tyson.
After tasting the successes of his boxing exploits, ‘Captain Hook’ returned in a full professional bout against MMA star Anthony Pettis in 2023.
But it was a sad affair as he was narrowly outpointed by Pettis, putting a defeat on his professional record.
Despite his loss, the American has still thrown his name in the mix for outings including against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
But despite suggesting his fighting days are now finally over, Jones Jr still has one burning desire to face Brazilian star Silva.
He said to Covers: “It was the fight that really started this crossover boxing, even before Conor McGregor got involved in.
“It was 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.”
Jones Jr has called out Silva for several years, ever since he retired in 2018.
But the bout has never materialised with the verbals offers largely falling on deaf ears.
Silva was an incredible superstar in the cage, fighting a who’s who of the best fighters.
‘The Spider’ also sent records tumbling, holding the longest UFC title reign of 2,457 days.
But he decided to move back into a sport he always loved, boxing, taking on three sanctioned bouts.
He first fought and beat Julio Cesar Chavez in a huge upset, before also getting the better of former MMA star Tito Ortiz.
But he came unstuck in his most recent bout, being dropped and outpointed by Paul in 2022, a nail in the coffin of his short-lived boxing career.
But he did return again in a boxing exhibition with Chael Sonnen last year.
At the age of 49, it is unclear if Silva would still now consider a return but would likely be fresher than Jones Jr.
But given the success of Jake Paul’s recent win over Tyson commercially, the lure could still be around to see the pair in action.
