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Roy Jones Jr. following fight with Omar Sheika. Photo: Bill(iudshi8uf)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr has revealed that he would like to fight Anderson Silva on the card of a potential Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Conor McGregor fight.

The news comes courtesy of social media after Jones Jr. tweeted the following:

The legacies of both Roy Jones Jr. and Anderson Silva

Jones Jr. enjoyed a legendary boxing career in which he became the first middleweight world champion to win a heavyweight world title in over a century. The American was also undisputed light-heavyweight champion after unifying the WBAWBC and IBF titles.

The boxing hall of famer is still active 28 years after his debut, a case in which many believe is wrong. Many believe the American to be tarnishing his reputation with his career longevity, but with 11 wins from his last 12 fights, the 48-year-old Floridian is still going strong.

Anderson Silva, a legend in his own right has enjoyed a stellar mixed martial arts career. This includes a UFC middleweight championship and a record title defence streak, successfully defending his belt 17 times.

Anderson Silva is still a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division after running current champion Michael Bisping close and recording a recent win over middleweight contender Derek Brunson.

“The Spider” also took to social media to comment on the potential fight:

Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather negotiations can open up the crossover fight

In both respective combat sports (particularly boxing) it is a rarity to see fighters still competing at a high level at the age of 40. With Jones Jr. aging 48-years-old and Silva 43, is it time for both fighters to hang up the gloves?

Jones Jr. is not ranked in the top 40 of his division as a boxer whilst another title shot for Silva looks unlikely as signs of his age are evident in recent fights. Having achieved extraordinary things inside the ring and octagon respectively, it’s unlikely either fighter will reach such heights again. This leads the majority of fans to the belief they should retire.

As lucrative and exciting the idea of a fantasy match-up is, it’s a fight that is unlikely to happen given the Brazilian’s hunger for a UFC title shot. However, money talks and it’d be naive to rule out a potential bout between the two fighters.

Both Jones Jr. and Silva have been campaigning for this fight for many years, but the UFC have always squashed the rumours. Now, with the UFC actively involved in the McGregor and Mayweather debacle, could this finally open up the door for the legendary champions?

The McGregor vs. Mayweather bout, if to be confirmed, will likely take place at the MGM Grand Arena. With the two fighting legends as a co-main event to the bitter rivals, we may well see the biggest fight night in history.