Roy Jones Jr. Agrees An MMA Fight Against Anderson Silva

For the longest time boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. would only agree to fight current UFC Midleweight Champion Anderson Silva under boxing rules. Silva had also said that he'd be willing to box against Jones. But, Jones now is willing to step into the Octagon to make the megafight happen.

CBSSports.com reported on Tuesday that Jones was approached by his manager a few weeks ago and agreed to consider fighting Silva under mixed martial arts rules for the UFC.

But even under those new terms, UFC President Dana White remains against the matchup.

"You won't see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me," White said to CBSSports.com regarding the fight.

White also proceeded to take jabs at Jones as well saying, "I don't want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He's not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must've spent all his money."

Silva last year confirmed his interest in fighting Jones, and both parties seem intent on making the fight happen in the next few years. Jones was quoted by the LA Times last month saying that he "can't wait for Anderson to get done with his [UFC] contract" so that the two can "get it on".

White acknowledged the fight would be a guaranteed one-shot blockbuster but wants to stay away from any sideshow fights for a developing sport.

"I could do it, make it huge, make money, but I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money," White continued. "The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don't do that because we love the sport. That's a PRIDE or K-1 matchup. It's not what we do."

If both Silva and Jones want to make this fight happen, Silva is going to have to leave the UFC. With challenges in the light heavyweight division looming, many doubt that Silva would ever leave before his contract is up. By then, Jones may be too old to make the fight happen.

Jones, former boxing's Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion, is one of the bigger boxing names to embrace MMA rather than view it as a threat. Jones in March promoted a hybrid boxing-mixed martial arts card in Pensacola, Florida and he's planning another one in July.