Will RJJ teach Anderson Silva a boxing lesson, or will Silva embarrass him?

Long read but worth it overall... from someone who knows what they're talking about

As someone who ardently follows both MMA & Boxing, and has done for a long time. And has both boxed & actually practiced jiujitsu as well as judo when younger... and dabbled in a lil kickboxing + wrestling... think I'm free of that bias that many tend to have coming from either side. However even without having done all this, I can fully appreciate both sides.

However, this is NOT an mma vs. boxing's worth argument. Though we can have that elsewhere if anyone wishes to be truly enlightened!



To the subject of this topic.

Anderson vs. Roy Jones Jr


We all know how much of a shadow Roy is of his former-self. I mean this is a guy who merits the name "Sugar" more than Mosley (not taking anything away from Mosley at all!). If any fighter of this generation deserved that nick, it's Roy more than anyone!

Now, even while shot... simple fact is... he has boxed all his life... was an olympic gold medallist (whether he actually got the medal or not is a diff. issue,, forget what the 'official' record pencilled in the record books is). He is still fairly fast in boxing terms & is certainly fast as far as 'boxing' standards in MMA go.

Now contrast that to Anderson Silva. No amateur background in boxing. Not even that great of a boxer in terms of MMA. A great striker, yes. But not a great boxer. He's elusive.. he's laser-accurate... he's great at countering... & has an immense command of range + space... but he's not a boxer! He's a Muay Thai striker. And while immense, he would not win the K-1 world grand prix (the biggest thing in professional kickboxing). Let's keep it all in perspective, eh?

Now put him in a boxing ring? I'm sorry, no. He's not THAT good.
Though he does have great reflexes (for MMA-striking).. and knows how to use his reach.
But still. Not good enough to get in there & truly outbox + beat Roy.

As long as Roy doesn't become a shadow of his shadow (even then I'd still favour Roy by quite a bit!) & gets past Lacy. Bet on Roy. Anderson would have trouble with good boxers at 154 who have the reach to land on his face consistently... never mind someone at 175! He'd lose to NABO champs anywhere between 154 & 175... nevermind a former p4p number1 & a man who has won titles all over the place between 160 & 175 as well as that HW title off El Gran John Ruiz (!).

All he has over Roy is the fact that he is VERY rangey..., taller (6'2ish) & a southpaw. That's all n that is smaller than 'minor!' considering he doesn't have the technical ability to really exploit that.

If Anderson won.. it would be a freak occurance.... !


He is underrated outside the MMA community in most quarters... as far as technique goes.... but as a boxer he is technically flawed! And if you want to lol... watch his ali shuffle attempt on youtube XD.
He isn't one of the MMA-boxers (nota bene: MMA-boxing) or even of the fighters in MMA with great cross-over ootential (for boxing).



and just fyi... if you want the break down of notable fighters with a boxing 'striking style'... fighting at the highest level of MMA:

The best boxers in high-level MMA (this is boxing for MMA btw, it's different slightly!) are:

--Arlovski (would have been an interesting fight vs. Valuev IF he had a good chin -- he doesn't... he has a highly suspect chin.. & that annulls all the other qualities he has which would make him a great professional boxer! -- you need a better chin for boxing than MMA as you will get hit hard more often and cleaner by HARDER punchers... ESPECIALLY in the heavyweight division!).

--Vitor Belfort (started in the ufc at like 18. Had olympic aspirations for brazil as a boxer... physically blessed, no doubt.. and gifted with great hand speed -- was on his way to becoming a light heavyweight boxer at age 18 but then got into MMA and never properly returned to boxing). Always had mental issues, though. Can't blame him, though, nice guy... and anyone coming up against grown men from age 18... and growing up inside a cage & on the mat... while having to move on while your sister is missing in Brazil (later known to be kidnapped.. and then eventually murdered!) -- ofcourse that **** takes its toll!


--Antonio Rogerio Nogueira aka Minotoro (not Minotauro <-- that's his big, twin brother) aka Lil Nog ; got medals at S.American & Pan Am. games

--Marcus Davis (former top10 ranked light-middleweight by the WBC!! iirc -- also, interesting fact: used to spar with Micky Ward from time to time!)

--BJ Penn (another fighter Freddie Roch highly rates; immensely naturally gifted! -- if he had looked to be a boxer at an early age.. rather than a fighter,, he could have been something! -- granted he would have had to lose that belly.. to make a weight where he would not be too small in boxing -- so 147! .. possibly even 140!-- esp. given how stacked the true welterweight division always is!). This is a guy who got his jiu-jitsu black belt within 3 years and within weeks of getting his black belt he won the Mundials (jiujitsu world championships) -- that is NO joke. Believe me. There's a reason he's called the prodigy. Oh and he's crazily flexible (can take his foot and put it behind his head without using his hands to move his foot or leg).

--Frankie Edgar

--A prime Gomi perhaps.

getting kind now but:

--Nick Diaz (...emphasis on boxing for MMA!)

--Maybe... Mike Swick

--And at a stretch, Rampage (Anderson would still wreck him.. but it wouldn't be through boxing, technically speaking ).

+ in terms of K-1 MAX (which is kickboxing, not MMA) look up

This content is protected

! He actually has had a separate boxing trainer for YEARS ...and imo has the best hands in the K-1 promotional organization!


now out of all of these.. NONE of them have cross-over potential to even become t10 in their divisions in boxing.
Arlovski would have if he had a good chin & Freddie Roach did have high hopes for him once he crossed over into boxing... & vitor + BJ could have if they had dedicated themselves to boxing earlier... even as late as say in their early 20s! (though, I would have told vitor to box at cruiserweight ;P).

yes to everything in that post

& Fedor.. who knows. End of this year / early next year... for either Strikeforce (in the US) or in Japan for DREAM or SeNGoKu (DREAM far more likely; btw these are all various organizations).

If by 'ambitions' you mean moving closer to the belt -- Anderson has no desire to hold the belt at 205 due to Machida's presence at 205 (no less as the champion, now!)
He just wants to be involved in 'huge' fights.

with 3 fights left post-Griffin.
1 will be defending his belt (either marquardt-maia winner or hendo-vitor2 winner)
1 will be at 205 (which I hope the UFC make either Rampage.. OR ask Couture to come down to face Anderson at 205 <-- i'd rather the latter.. but the former is still good!)
1 will be a super-fight... probably 185 again... (again either marquardt-maia winner or hendo-vitor2 winner))

personally I hope he does lose his title before leaving.. & then loses to Roy Jones... and has to come back

 

I don't know which MMA fans you talk to...
but if you go to a site which is the MMA equivalent of eastside in terms of well-informed readers & posters... then you won't get that much if at all (and where you do get it, it will be from those who are not boxing fans and do not understand boxing! & hell, probably don't understand martial arts in general... and do not TRULY appreciate + comprehend what goes on inside the ring).



also, there are just as stupid people on the other side of the line who think a pure-boxer would do well at highest-level of modern MMA straight away ..due to the sloppiness of boxing in MMA for the most part (though again, a lot of these people don't appreciate the other striking arts in MMA & how different it is in MMA -- the range, timing, footwork, everything! -- there are many more variables at play ; also, these people do not appreciate that MMA, though past the embryonic stages, is still just a kid... and it's in the next 20 years that we'll start to see the real athletes... well-rounded in multiple facets of MMA... coming up...! we have quite a few already.. but in 20 yrs... damn, it'll be off the hook! --- you don't put boxing down for the fat ****s who boxed in the late 1800s / early 1900s do you?? these sub-par-by-modern-standard athletes???)

But yeah, the kinda stupid **** im referring to is stuff like:
**** like how would Lesnar fair against Lewis... and get past his stiff jabs punctuated with terminator-like straight rights? (though these fans are also not as hardcore as they like to think of themselves as they don't realize Lennox wrestled a fair bit in HS!).
& idiots who make Mercer's KO of tim sylvia seem like a great victory (Sylvia is ****... -- he's not a good striker in MMA, no less a good boxer AND has a **** jaw, also)

the only high-level pro-boxer atm.. who could cross-over to the highest-level in MMA within say 12months of training... would be Kermit Cintron. yes, puto. Not just because of his athletic prowess... but because of his wrestling background... which gives him a good base... combined with the fact that he is a world-class boxer and a knockout artist.... -- he would have been interesting. Even if he would have cried after BJ choked him out or Sherk grinded him out.

but hey, atleast unlike Floyd.. he didn't chat **** & then back down when a challenge was thrown!

 

A Jones-Silva boxing will be heavily favored for Jones however Anderson is a supreme striker and has knockout power with either hand. He also generates leverage while moving backwards. With his speed, ability, training and athleticism Anderson could knockout Jones early. Roy is now even slower and still has the same chin that connected with Tarver and Johnson.
Silva only wants big fights for big paydays and why blame him. He is no longer motivated or challenged by the routine of training for just another match. He has never approached anything near a boxing sized paycheck.
I would say its an even chance for the first two rounds and then Roy dominates but I would bet that it doesn't go past three.

 

RJJ would box his ears off!

 

This fight would generate tremendous interest and a bigger PPV event than anything that RJJ has seen in years if ever.
The boxing and MMA forums would be on fire.

 

Anderson doesn't punch anywhere near as hard as either Tarver or Johnson.
Let me put it in perspective: there are MANY fighters at 147 & below who hit as hard or harder in terms of PUNCHING!

Harder: Manny, Mosley, Cintron, Cotto, Oscar (just to help give an understanding), Berto i think.

Now Anderson is someone who walks around at 225 at start of camp. Gets down to around 200 by the week of the fight.. and fights at 185lbs.

 

Anderson would have a much better chance against Tito coming off what 1 fight in 3-4 years?

And even then, I'd pick Tito by KO!

(Trinidad not Ortiz... just so that there is no questioning what I'm saying!)

 

Well, just the FACT that Silva is entertaining the idea of fighting RJ is evidence enough. I mean, do you see boxers calling out MMA fighters? No. Because they know their niche. But it makes me laugh watching MMA guys "box" with terrible technique and they think they can take on professional boxers.

 

god forbid Silva shatters Roy's Glass Jaw us Boxing fans will NEVER hear the end of it. Why can't Silva fight a real Boxer? Why is he picking on Jones? Probably the fragile Chin issue.

 

YOU FAIL ONCE AGAIN.

:dead

 

Jones will destroy him, fear not for boxings reputation. You can't underestimate the difference between a top level boxer and a top level 'striker'. Roy is still a top fighter, its not as if he's losing to bums.

 

Silva is even more over the hill the RJJ is and in a boxing match he will get killed. Who in their right mind would sanction such a fight? State AA needs to step in on this one.

 

What about the fact that after Anderson shared his 'dream' to fight RJJ. Roy said, pre-Hopkins vs. Calzaghe, that other than the winner of this fight.. he could possibly fight Anderson Silva, the UFC champion -- that's what he said. Shouldn't you be using that as evidence in the reverse.. that Roy is out of his mind for taking it in & seriously CONSIDERING it?? heh.

Maybe there's simply not enough money in top-level MMA compared to top-level Boxing? Ever consider that. Even for one-off events, the payscales are not even close!

Though, Dana would have happily made a loss to get Floyd in the octagon to see him get his ass steamrolled & handed to him... henceforth having to eat his words!

oh and Actually, yes, in effect we have had boxers throwing down the gauntlet vs. MMA fighters by talking as though MMA is worthless & anyone in there ain't **** in a real fight (which is funny considering rules & what is actually closer to a 'real fight').

but yeah... fighters who have done so?
Floyd in the past...

Bernard in effect has by comparing MMA to prison-fights lol.

There are others, too.

There is still a lot of ignorance of how different MMA is & what REAL combat is. Let's face it, for a century or two ..those who were the best boxers were touted by the public as the hardest men & best 'fighter' on the planet. Heck, most even believe that they are the best FIGHTER (not just boxer).

When that's simply not true.

It may be a hard pill to swallow. But that's the truth!
Boxers are NOT the best fighters on the planet.

Actually, there's only 2 fighters in MMA who are calling out boxers to fight IN BOXING.. under BOXING RULES... in a BOXING RING.

They are 1 -- Anderson -- only called out ONE BOXER and that's Roy Jones... because he's always wanted to push & challenge himself... and his idol was Roy. He said it's been a dream of his for a while to fight Roy! (and plus we all know he wants that paycheck!). He has no intention to make it in boxing. He just wants Roy.

2 -- Nick Diaz -- and even he really wasn't CALLING someone out. He's just a street kid with a chip on his shoulder who feels unappreciated and said he'd love to box Taylor or Pavlik. And hell, with the way Pavlik has been acting scared & all round been not the same Pavik we thought we knew ...post-Hopkins lol... maybe he should have his coach & manager Cesar Gracie call up Bob Arum lmao. And IIRC, he said something like just to show that he can hang.. AS AN ATHLETE... as he feels he's even better conditioned than they are -- and I don't actually doubt him there vs. Pavlik or Taylor!!!!


*3-- Arlovski never called anyone out.. however always had aspirations to genuinely try n make it as a boxer alongside his MMA career. And Freddie (Roach) -- who has been his main coach for quite awhile now & even corners him! -- even said he could!...

only problem is, Freddie didn't know how I did.. that Arlovski doesn't have a good enough chin to make it in the long-term in boxing! nullifies how gifted he is n how well he moves for a big man!


Andrei Arlovski is the ONLY ONE who has actually wanted to pursue any sort of long-term career (not just 1 or 2 fights here n there).


as far as MMA fighters calling out boxers?
The only boxer who has been 'called out' has been Floyd.. and that's been to fight in MMA to back up the **** he says & prove his deluded notion (which he has now realized is not true but will not openly admit) that any boxer would rule the MMA world with ease because "the ppl in the ufc are only there because they couldn't make it in boxing" (or words to that effect).

I hate to say it, but in that one video.. Joe Rogan did actually tear Loui DiBella a new one.

 

This content is protected

 

I agree that in a street fight, the MMA fighter trumps the boxer. Boxing is a specialized sport while MMA is more well rounded.

As for Nick Diaz, yeah, i heard some rumblings about that. He's a very slow striker. He would get his ass handed to him by almost any C level boxer. Heck any decent amatuer.