Nick Diaz Wants a Boxing Match With Roy Jones Jr.

According to GracieFighter.com, Nick Diaz and his camp have reportedly issued a challenge to Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately for Diaz, that challenge was not for a kickboxing or MMA match. Rather, it was for a boxing match.

As many know, Anderson Silva has also issued such a challenge to Jones, who reportedly had some interest. But the UFC is nowhere near allowing one of their fighters to compete in a combat event not promoted by them. Enter Nick Diaz and the much looser reigns of his Strikeforce contract.

Here's the thing, though. Diaz is as tough as they come and has great reach. Further, he's coming off of a huge win over Frank Shamrock and his cardio is second to none. If this were a kickboxing fight, he'd have a chance. In MMA, he'd dominate. But in boxing? In a sport where Roy Jones Jr. is one of the best of all-time?

That's a tough one. On top of the fact that Diaz would have to match boxing skills with a better boxer is the problem with turning off what has become muscle memory to him. Diaz takes people down without thinking about it. It's been hardwired into his brain. He also throws kicks, albeit somewhat rarely, without thinking. Taking the time to stifle those reflexes will hurt him almost as much as Roy Jones Jr. may.

The bottom line is that by taking on boxers, MMA fighters may just be playing into boxing's hands. See any true to life superstar boxers walk into an MMA ring or cage lately? No. That's because they know that by competing in someone else's sport, all they stand to do is lose and make that sport look better than their own. Sure, boxing is hardly as close to a real fight as MMA is, but does the public at large know that? If Diaz were to lose badly to Jones, something that is likely to occur, then many might point and say, see, we told you so. And worse, some might believe they're right.

Let's try and get some more boxers into an MMA cage and not the other way around.

Photo Credit: Tom Casino/Strikeforce