Anderson Silva open to fighting Jon Jones?

Anderson Silva and Jon Jones have maintained for quite some time that they’re not interested in fighting each other. Jones has said he doesn’t want to face Silva because he has too much to lose. Silva has expressed similar thought. Another issue is that neither fighter wants to change weight classes; Silva fights at 185 and Jones is 205.

But after UFC President Dana White talked about offering them so much money they wouldn’t be able to turn down the fight, Silva suddenly seemed open to the possibility.

According to Bloody Elbow, Silva told Brazilian TV network SporTV that he would be open to the fight. Here’s what he said courtesy of a Bloody Elbow translation:

“People are talking about that so much that… I don’t have this ambition, this (fight) doesn’t motivate me, especially since they have other athletes in my team, such as Lil’ Nog, Maldonado, Feijao, Caldeirao (Wagner Prado), that are in his weight class. My weight class is 185, my belt is of that weight class. But people are talking so much about this, and we are employees of the UFC. Of course, I could be saying that I don’t want it, but what if he goes out and accepts the money Dana is proposing for him to fight? It will be hard (not to accept it). It’s not the money that motivates me to fight, I fight because I like it. So, I don’t know. I wouldn’t like (to fight him). But if it’s going to happen, it would have to be at a catchweight. The belt shouldn’t be at play. I already have mine and I don’t want a belt to be left at the side.”

Silva saying that a potential fight would have to be at a catchweight is a big difference from the firm denials he gave in the past. Jones has an upcoming fight with Chael Sonnen in April, and Silva may be facing Georges St-Pierre next. Could Jones and Silva fight after that? It certainly seems like a possibility.